Broken Masks
by Trunks lil' sis
Summary: Taking care of the town was more than enough for Leon, until Cloud came to him, heartless giving chase. Now Leon finds himself helping Sora protect Cloud, for reasons they cannot begin to understand. And in the darkness Ansem waits. SR LC
1. Chapter 1: Confusion

This is my first Kingdom Hearts Fanfic though I do have many more idea's popping around in my head. This might be a little confusing around the beginning and it might seem like it's not a Yaoi, but stick with it, it'll get pretty Yaoi-full in just a few more.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own, cause if I did Cloud and Leon would shag all the time, as would Sora and Riku. Oh yeah, and Kairi would be dead. ^_^  
  
Leon/Cloud & Riku/Sora  
  
Warnings: Uh, my beta is lazy so it's not beta'd. That's about it, oh yeah, and Yaoi. But I'm sure you already knew that.  
  
Broken Masks By: Trunks lil sis  
  
"Don't you want to know if the rumors are true?" The young ninja asked. "I mean it's another one of us, someone else who survived." She bounced around tall brown haired man who seemingly ignored her. "Leon! What's your problem? A week ago you were more then happy to go look for survivors, now you don't want anything to do with it?"  
  
He shrugged, his Gun Blade resting on his left shoulder. "I've got more important things to do." He leaned down to her level. "Like hunting the heartless. Unless you'd like to wake up to a couple thousand outside our door." He continued to walk down the alleyway towards the secret underground passageway.  
  
"Don't you want to know?" She looked at him with large eyes, not comprehending what was wrong with her friend. The man that had grown from being an acquaintance to a big brother. "I-"  
  
He turned again. "Listen, why don't you and Aerith go check it out. If the rumors turn out somehow to be true, I'll go find her." Yuffie frowned.  
  
"Who said it was a girl?" She asked. Leon looked at her suspiciously. "They say it's Cloud." She spoke quietly and failed to notice the flinch from Leon that vanished as soon as it had appeared. "Now do you see why we need to find him?" He pushed his rage down.  
  
"Like I said, I've got a busy day today, I'll see you later." He walked away from her rather fast, causing her to frown.  
  
"Oh, Leon." She shook her head before running off towards the first district; she had to see Aerith now. Yuffie passed through the first district doors out of breath, and spotted the brown haired girl speaking quietly with Cid.  
  
"Aerith!" She flipped up to the level behind the accessories shop and grabbed onto her friends arm. "Any luck?" She asked, hopeful. Aerith shook her head.  
  
"You two see here," Cid has stepped in. "Leave this subject alone. Cloud would have come and found us if he wanted to see us. He's running around this town for a reason and he'll talk to us when the time is ready." He gave Yuffie a look. "And don't you go tracking him down to force him into something he doesn't want. That fella's always been a sucker for a pretty girl, don't go using it against him." He flipped her black hair. "Give him some time."  
  
"Time is something we do not have the pleasure of." Aerith said. "No matter how many hours Leon spends out there hunting the heartless, they just keep coming. We're lucky they've been contained to the second and third district this long. We're going to be over run some time soon and we'll all be forced to leave."  
  
Yuffie crossed her arms. "But Cloud needs us, we're all he has left of our world." Aerith looked over her shoulder towards the second district doors and sighed. This action did not escape Yuffie's watchful eyes. "And Cloud loves Aerith." The very young woman said.  
  
Aerith blushed. "Cloud and I are friends, nothing more." She said, but her eyes betrayed her. "Anyway, we still need to find Cloud, whether he wishes to be found or not." Yuffie nodded.  
  
Cid rolled his eyes and began to walk away. "You girls be careful, there and more and more heartless around here all the time." Yuffie raised her eyebrows and Aerith nodded. Both girls jumped forward to pull him back.  
  
"Then we need a nice strong man like you." Aerith giggled as she and Yuffie dragged him towards the doors to the second district. "You'll protect us."  
  
"No way!" He planted his heals into the ground but was still dragged. "If and when you do find Cloud I don't want to have my head chopped off by that overly large sword for messing with him." They paid no attention to his ranting. "And then if Cloud doesn't kill me Leon will as soon as he finds out."  
  
His calls and screams went unaided as the three figures disappeared through the dark doors.  
Leon swung his Gun Blade at an imaginary foe again. He swung with anger and was off his mark completely, and that was just pissing him off even more. The walls of the underground passageway twinkled lightly with the magic radiating off of them. It was truly the only place the heartless hadn't been at least once.  
  
He swung once more before shaking his head and letting his sword drop to the floor. The sound of metal hitting stone echoed off the walls for several seconds. He seated himself on the floor next to the water and rested his elbows on his knees.  
  
"Does something trouble you?" Asked a soft voice. Leon didn't so much as turn. He knew immediately it was the old magician Merlin, his house residing directly over the passageway. Lately the man had been visiting Leon more often then not.  
  
"No." He picked himself off the floor to greet the man properly. "What can I do for you?" As much as the man annoyed him, he had done so much to help them, asking nothing in return. In fact without the old wizard they would never have been able to occupy the small house. The protection charms being the only thing keeping the heartless out.  
  
"Now don't lie. Lying only makes things worse, I believe Pinocchio is a fine example of that." Leon said nothing. "What bothers you?" The old man asked again.  
  
"No disrespect, but it doesn't concern you." Leon said quietly, hopping the magician would take the hint.  
  
"No such luck." The man replied, making Leon wonder if he had read his mind. "Now why don't you sit next to me and tell me who is on your mind." He lowered himself to the floor and patted the stone next to him.  
  
"A friend might be alive." Leon answered, not moving from his spot.  
  
Merlin stroked his beard. "And you should be happy, but there is something more is there not?"  
  
Leon nodded. "I have known this friend for many years, and competed with him for just as long. He has always chosen to be alone, train alone, never experience love or joy. He's a hard man to befriend and it took me many years to develop something with him."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"And I feel as if he has betrayed me."  
  
Merlin nodded. "By winning the love of someone you love." Leon told himself he should not have been surprised. The old magician always seemed to know everything. "But there is still something more."  
  
"The rumors say he has been in Transverse town for a few days." Leon now sat beside him. "But he has not sought any of us out. As if our friendship means nothing." Leon sighed. "I know we've all changed, but I had hoped the very few friendships I have, would have held up."  
  
Merlin sat silent for a moment before he stood with a soft groan. "This is something I wish I could help you with, but it is something you must discover on your own." He turned to wall back towards the passageway to his house. "Things will change in a very short time. And nothing is as it seems."  
  
Leon climbed to his own feet, confused. He turned sharply to the entrance of the underground passageway when he heard a man screaming. He quickly identified the voice as belonging to Cid. He picked up his Gun Blade and sprinted towards the alleyway.  
  
He sweat dropped when he spotted Cid being dragged from the Dalmatian house towards his own location. "Leon!" Cid locked eyes with the much younger man. "Help me!!!" Leon was tempted for just a second to turn around and run back to the old man. Anything was better then hearing the veteran pilot screaming like a young girl.  
  
When Yuffie spotted Leon she let go of Cid's arm and bounced over to her other favorite male. "What were you doing?" Leon asked distrustfully. "And why is he screaming, you'll attract the heartless." Leon looked around, as if him mentioning them would cause an attack.  
  
"We were coming to look for you, and Aerith and I decided to bring Cid along because he hardly ever leaves the first district." Yuffie said convincingly. Cid opened his mouth to say something, but Aerith stepped on his foot as hard as she could and shot him a warning glare.  
  
"You were investigating the rumors, weren't you?" Leon asked her.  
  
She bit her lip and gave him an awkward smile. "Uh, no?" She said. He shook his head and leaned against the wall.  
  
"I told you, you could do whatever you wanted to. I'm not going to stop you, but try to be a bit more careful. The heartless have gotten stronger in the past few weeks. I've got a feeling it has to do with Sora. I believe that the closer he gets to sealing the keyholes, the strong the heartless become."  
  
Cid nodded. "The last Gummi Block I installed was the path to a couple worlds crawling with heartless. I'm not talking about the ones we have here, I'm talking about things nightmares are made of."  
  
"I thought the ones here were nightmares." Yuffie supplied.  
  
"No," Cid said, a dark look on his features. "These heartless were different, the very root of evil." The man looked towards Leon. "And I've got a feeling our problems are about to get worse."  
  
"What do you mean?" Leon asked, they certainly didn't need any more problems. The ones they had were disastrous.  
  
"A couple of my scouts reported in a day ago that a few big things were running around. They weren't heartless, but they had the same dark feeling. I'm talking about head honchos. These things controlled the heartless."  
  
Leon looked disturbed. "Would you happen to know where they're running around, so I can go play with them?" He had a murderous tint to his eyes.  
  
"No I don't." Cid shot back angrily. "And if I did I wouldn't tell you. These new things are beyond anything you can think of. They're strong, fast and most of all intelligent. They'd chew you up and spit you out in a few seconds. We'd be attending your funeral if you took them on now." Cid tried to stress his point. Besides Leon being a friend, they needed the man. Leon was really the only one strong enough to take on the heartless day after day and keep them in check.  
  
"You don't have any faith?" Leon asked, he had been counting on Cid of all people.  
  
"I have faith that you would be dead in a second. Think about the people who need you. You aren't the keyblade master and we can't afford to lose you."  
  
Yuffie looked between the two men. "We got a lead on Cloud." She said. It might not have been the best thing to change the subject to, but I was something to distract Leon.  
  
"So the rumors are true? He's here?" Leon asked. He did not have a strong urge to see the man, but he wanted to know if Cloud was alive at least.  
  
Aerith shrugged. "We don't know if he's here, but we know he's alive. We spoke with someone who was at the Coliseum about a week ago. They said he was fighting in the tournament. Other then that, we don't have an idea where he is."  
  
Leon noticed the way she spoke about him and felt his heart drop. "Are you going to go look for him there?" He asked, and wanted to scold himself for hoping she would say no.  
  
"No, he's not there anymore. The man we met said he left right after a fight with Sora." Leon looked more intently at her when she said that. "It was a close match by report, but Sora came out the victor and Cloud left."  
  
"We can still go look if you want." Yuffie volunteered. Unlike Aerith she had seen Leon's face when they had mentioned Cloud again. She knew he desperately wanted to see his friend again-whether he knew it or not. And her heart sunk again as she realized how much Cloud meant to Leon, even if the older man couldn't admit it.  
  
"No, it's just as well." Leon said. "If he wants to see us, he can come and find us. We're not hard to find, in fact everyone one seems to know who we are." Leon stated, happy with his response.  
  
"Well, I'm going to head back to the first district." Cid said, preparing to leave while he could. He hated to think of what Yuffie and Aerith would do to him if Leon left first.  
  
Leon reached out to stop the man. "Hold on a second." The brown haired man reached into his back pocket and pulled out a flattened roll of paper. "I'd like you to install this into my ship, when you get the chance." He handed the man the paper. "And if this gets out to anyone, I'll have your hide." He threw a threatening glare to Cid, just for extra measure.  
  
"Uh, sure." He retreated back to the first district, fingering the blueprints, wondering what they were for. "I'll catch the three of you later." He gave a wave before he was gone.  
  
"I'm going patrolling again." Leon went to turn when Aerith grabbed his arm. Her strong yet gentle touch sent a shiver down his spine.  
  
"I would consider it a personal favor if you would make an attempt to find Cloud." Her eyes pleaded with him and he felt his heart break even further. "I desperately need to speak with him." And Leon could never deny the woman anything.  
  
"I will when I get some spare time." It was his own sort of promise, but she took it nonetheless.  
  
There was suddenly a weird sound that Leon recognized all to well. He spun on his heals, Gun Blade out. The three humans readied themselves for the battle as wave after wave of heartless appeared.  
  
"Yuffie, Aerith, get out of here, I'll hold them off." Leon commanded. Yuffie shook her head, as she looked around them.  
  
"There are too many." She concluded.  
  
"And the paths are all blocked." Aerith observed. And it was true. The doors to the second district and the Dalmatian house were blocked, as well as the secret entrance to the underground cavern. And he couldn't risk exposing it anyway.  
  
In a matter of seconds they were in battle. Leon ripped through the heartless with little effort at first. But they soon began to over take him with their sheer numbers. He was quiet strong, stronger then a normal man, but against dozens and dozens of enemies he stood little chance of surviving.  
  
Yuffie and Aerith stood back to back as they held off the heartless attacking them. Each protecting each other, and putting up a fairly good fight. Leon fought his way over to them as a bright idea sprung into his mind.  
  
"Yuffie, up!" He shouted pointing to the balconies to the hotel. She got the meaning in just a few seconds and was jumping up there soon after. Leon scooped Aerith up into his arms and pushed off the ground as hard as possible.  
  
Leon and Aerith looked around as winged heartless began to appear, compensating for their height. "Follow me!" Leon called, running from balcony to balcony. He stopped in front of the door to the red room and gave it a quick shove. He, Yuffie, and Aerith toppled in, slamming the door seconds later.  
  
They lay on the floor for a few seconds until they were sure the heartless weren't going to attempt to break in. "That was-interesting." Yuffie supplied, climbing to her feet.  
  
"Mind telling me what you're doing in my room?" Asked a new voice. Yuffie looked at the figure in the bed with wide eyes. Aerith gasped and covered her mouth in shock. And Leon moved to the right slightly so he could see the figure fully.  
  
Leon locked eyes with the man. The first thing he observed was the man happened to be his old time friend, Cloud. The second being that his shirt and buckles had been removed and replaced with white gauze. The white bandages were also slowly turning red with blood. 


	2. Chapter 2 My reason for being here

I would first like to thank those of you who reviewed! I was really unsure if I should write something like this, but the idea had been in my head for a very long time. Actually, it's been there since I saw both characters in the game.  
  
I'm trying to put these chapters out as fast as possible, but my computer won't allow me to upload onto FFN and I have to wait to use the school computers. I keep telling myself only one more year before I never have to see the hellhole they call school.  
  
Warnings: Yaoi, adult situations in the future, and the biggest warring of all, this is not Beta'd. Run for the hills.  
  
Broken Masks: Chapter 2  
"Cloud?" Yuffie asked, trying to decide if her eyes were deceiving her. "Is that really you?" Her eyes widened as she concluded it had to be the man they had been looking for. "Cloud!" She launched herself at the blonde, knocking them back onto the bed.  
  
Cloud hissed in pain, but tried valiantly to conceal any discomfort. "Hello." He offered the young ninja before managing to slowly pull himself out from under her. He stood and became very self-conscious of his appearance. He crossed the room to pick up his discarded shirt, and slid it over his head. He was also struck with the natural defense of grabbing his cape. He refrained from adding it to his body, but had deliberated for a moment.  
  
"Cloud?" His gaze moved to the other woman in the room. He had been aware of her presence from the moment she had entered. Hell, he didn't know why he was lying to himself. She had been one of the first things he had seen when he had escaped to the town.  
  
"Hello." He gave his greeting to the woman the same as Yuffie, feeling that a neutral course of action would be best.  
  
She moved forward in a blaze, intending to summarize his wound and heal it. As one soft hand reached out for his mid-section, he became alert of the situation and jumped back in surprise. He knew he had startled her, and as he breathed hard from the sudden panic, he offered her a small look of apology.  
  
"I am fine." He stated, now intending on keeping his distance from them all.  
  
"Nonsense." Cloud locked eyes with Leon for the second time and a sort of stand off was declared. Neither man moved, nor blinked. Cloud kept his trained eyes the brown haired man, unsure of the present situation. "I saw the blood, don't bother hiding it."  
  
Leon looked his long time friend over and felt something stir in him. He was unsure, but just looking at the man, as hard as it might be, was bringing emotions back into his life. These were emotions he had fought hard to keep down into the very depths of his soul. He decided almost immediately that he didn't like these feelings, and he didn't want the man across from him to cause them.  
  
"I said I was fine." Cloud hissed out, through partially closed teeth.  
  
"Why didn't you come see us? What kept you away?" Yuffie asked. Cloud noted that the persistent girl had wrapped her arms around his waist and was giving him a soft hug, now aware of his injury. "Why are you here?" She was a blur of questions, and this made Cloud wonder how he could have ever forgotten hearing her sweet voice and playful actions.  
  
Cloud wrapped one arm around the small girl. "I was coming to see you soon." He said. "As soon as I was healed."  
  
Aerith frowned oddly, moving towards Cloud. She stepped loudly to alert him of her presence, and moved slowly not wanting to upset the current peace in the room. "I can heal you." She told him. "Why didn't you heal yourself?"  
  
He stiffened but allowed the pink dressed woman to stand but a few inches away from him. "This wound will not heal." She disregarded his words and put both of her hands over his abdomen. Her eyes closed and she began a simple healing spell she had learned years ago.  
  
"What?" She asked herself, realizing the spell was simply rebounding off of him and back to her. "I told you." He lifted his shirt to indicate the still spreading blood. "This type of wound must heal by nature."  
  
"Where have you been?" Leon asked. He leaned on the wall, arms crossed in his signature pose. "You obviously have access to a gummi ship. So I would like to know why you did not seek out the only people of our world left."  
  
Cloud sighed and moved to sit on the bed. "It's not that simple. There were things I had to do, things that had to be done before I could begin this new life." Yuffie and Aerith exchanged looks of concern at Cloud's statement.  
  
"That doesn't explain why you didn't send word of your survival. Perhaps you don't care if we're alive, but we very much care for others." Leon shot towards Cloud without meeting the blonde's angry gaze.  
  
There were a few moments of silence before Cloud spoke again. "It doesn't matter anyway." He waved his hand, indicating he wanted to leave the subject.  
  
Yuffie looked from Aerith to Cloud and sighed, wondering just what she was getting herself into. "Come on, Leon." He grabbed the man's arm. "We can go through the hotel." She pulled the man from the room, giving one last look to the occupants of the room.  
  
As they walked the hallway of the hotel the silence between them became defined, an almost certain decision. "You got your wish." Leon said, after long pauses of silence. He held the door to the second district open for her.  
  
She shrugged her shoulder. "I'm not so sure that was a good idea now. If I had known all of this was going to happen, I wouldn't have pushed looking for Cloud so much." Her feet shuffled on the floor lightly. "Cloud sure has changed." Leon, walking slightly behind her gave her a hard look.  
  
"No, you've just been away from him too long. He's the same hard, self proclaimed warrior that's he's always been."  
  
Yuffie smiled. "Hey, remember the time when you and-what was the boy's name?" Yuffie paused at the memory. "You and Solan snuck away the day after the fall equinox? And then Cloud and I snuck after you?" Leon listened with one open ear, while his eyes scanned the streets looking for heartless.  
  
"Yes, I specifically asked the two of you not to come along, you, Cloud and Aerith were always crashing any fun I wanted to have." Leon said. "And if I remember correctly, I told the both of you to leave, and then both of you promptly fell in the river."  
  
Leon frowned at first running the events through in his mind, and then smiling briefly at the way he remembered that day ending. He remembered specifically waking up that day, intent on spending the day with his new friend, Solan. They had decided to go exploring the cliffs by the ocean.  
  
He and Solan had set out that day with only a slight delay from both of their mothers. They had traveled a few miles on the sandy path to the old wooden bridge that was suspended over the river that ran directly to the ocean. He and Solan had spent the morning hours exploring the caves, and the afternoon in the ocean. He remembered enjoying the day immensely, but feeling that it was lacking something.  
  
But it was the event on their way back that made Leon cast his eyes downward. Halfway across the old bridge Cloud and Yuffie had appeared, just a few years separating each other and a few more between themselves and Leon. Both had demanded to be included in adventures and both had crossed the bridge.  
  
Leon recalled the Solan had walked ahead, asking him to deal with the problem while he cleared something out ahead of them. He knew he had asked Cloud and Yuffie to go home a bit too harshly, and regretted it as he stalked off after his friend.  
  
The sound to haunt his ears sounded just seconds later. The old bridge had decided that moment to give out, sending the two children on it scrambling to grab onto the one good side. Neither Cloud nor Yuffie had been able to get a good hold, and moments later both fell the long distance into the freezing water.  
  
Leon remembered diving in after them, feeling anger at himself for two things. The first being he had yelled harshly at two of the people who meant the most to him. The two people that followed him around because they wanted to be with him, to be like him. And the second because he wanted to save one more then the other. His mind, no, his heart was picking one above the other and telling his brain to swim towards the more important one.  
  
Yuffie had managed to throw herself upon the top of the bank on the right side of the river, while Cloud kicked hard in the water tying to stay afloat. He had reached Cloud in a few seconds, and had wrapped a protective arm around the spiky haired child. They floated for at least twenty minutes before they were dumped into the ocean and kicked towards shore.  
  
Leon and Yuffie pushed the doors to the first district open and another weird thought struck him. He wondered where the protectiveness he had felt over the cute blonde had gone. Many years ago he had been willing to fight to the death to protect the much smaller boy. And true to his word he had gotten in many fights, but he valued each the same as the next.  
  
"You're confused, aren't you?" Yuffie asked, drawing Leon out of his daze.  
  
"What did you say?" Leon tapped his foot at the empty third district; he had been counting on a few heartless to vent his frustration.  
  
"You're confused, aren't you?" She repeated, stopping the man from walking any further away from her.  
  
He solved this problem by walking in a different direction. "I'm not confused, I know exactly what's happening." Yuffie shook her head, not pleased by Leon's answer.  
  
But in reality, Leon did know the truth. He knew his soul inside and out, and was rediscovering his heart by and by. No, he wasn't confused anymore. He knew for a fact that the feeling of protectiveness and the willingness to do anything for the blonde wasn't gone. And if anything it was growing.  
"And then I met Aladdin and we fought against Jafar, who used Genie to turn into a Genie!" Sora explained adamantly to Cid, the brunette waving his arms wildly. Sora had just returned from Agrabah and defeating a major power.  
  
"Did you go to the other worlds?" Cid asked, actually interested in the worlds he wouldn't dare visit. "Are they filled with heartless too?"  
  
Sora rested his hands behind his head and shook his head. "Naw, I needed to come back and restock in the stores, plus, I wanted to talk to Leon about a few things. I think I might know who's behind all of the heartless, and who's controlling them."  
  
Cid immediately became serious. "Gal by the name of Maleficent?" Cid asked in a low voice.  
  
"How'd you know?" Sora asked suspiciously. "I heard Jafar and someone named Maleficent talking, they're working on something big." Sora shook his head, eyes going to the night sky about the town. He watched with sadness as another star went out, another light gone from the world. "I need to speak with Leon, would you happen to know where I can find him?"  
  
Cid was hesitant. "Some things have been going down in the past weeks since you've been here." He told Sora. "Yesterday a fella from my world, Leon's world showed up. I don't know what happened, cause I'm just the old guy and no one keeps me in on things, but far as I can tell he and Leon aren't getting along too well."  
  
"Wow." Fidgeted as he often did. "Can I meet this guy, I bet he'll have lots of cool things to talk about."  
  
Cid frowned. "Don't you already known Cloud?"  
  
Sora's eyes widened in surprise. "Sure I know him, I met him at the coliseum. I fought against him too, he told me he was looking for his light." Sora's voice fell a bit. "I told him I was looking for my light too, but I hadn't found him yet." Sora sighed deeply. "Did Cloud find what he was looking for yet?" Sora asked hopeful.  
  
Cid shrugged. "I wouldn't know. You should go check with Leon; he's more then likely in the underground passageway. Just be careful, and don't mention Cloud to him."  
  
Sora thanked him before running off towards the second district doors. "You should go check out some of the worlds!" He called back. "I've got some of them cleaned out of the heartless, just a few left and right!"  
  
Cid shook his head, amused at the energetic boy. And very concerned that they were placing their future into the hands of someone that was on a wild goose chase to find the boy he loved, not stop the darkness that was threatening to overtake everything.  
  
~*~  
  
"Squall."  
  
"I have asked you repetitively not to use that name." Leon ignored the shorter, younger man standing a small distance away from him.  
  
"It is your name." Cloud stated, speaking alone with the man for the first time in a very long time. "Normally, one addresses the other by a name given to them at birth."  
  
Leon growled under his breath, once again urging himself not to attack the man. "Cheeky as ever." Leon acknowledged, swinging his Gun blade again. "So I'll ask you again, why have you gone through all the trouble to find this place and speak with me?"  
  
"I came to speak with you because we have not seen each other for a very long time. I assumed that I would be welcomed as your friend, someone you once trusted. We grew up together, and you are all I have left. And by the way, Cid told me where you were."  
  
Leon took a seat on the strangely warm stone floor and shot Cloud a skeptical look. "And I've known you since you were born, so tell me the real reason you've tracked me down."  
  
"Like I said, you're all I have left." The tone of the younger man's voice caused Leon to look towards him. Cloud, back pressed to the wall gazed at Leon with deep eyes. His shirt had once again been removed and the old, bloody gauze replaced with clean white ones.  
  
"What do you mean?" Leon asked cautiously.  
  
Cloud chuckled to himself. "You're the only one I can remember." Leon was on his feet moments later, crossing the distance between them and dropping himself next to Cloud. Cloud continued. "I have very few memories left. I can't remember where I was born, who my friends are, and how we lost our world."  
  
Leon leaned his back onto the wall, his perspective changing greatly. "But you remember me, and you remembered Yuffie, and Aerith." He paused. "I know you remember Aerith."  
  
Cloud shook his head. "I have small fragments of memories, and even then they are very confusing. While I can remember select things about you, I have only quick images of Yuffie, and practically nonexistent knowledge of Aerith. I remember waking in the coliseum a long time ago, Hercules asking me who I was, and where I came from." Cloud spoke in the same low voice he always had, but Leon noticed the tone had changed just slightly. If he wasn't mistaken, this new voice was retaining some of its innocence from their childhood. Before all the fighting and blood had begun.  
  
"It took me a full week to remember my name." Cloud turned the short distance to look Leon in the eyes. "And another to remember anything about you. I came here looking for answers, I have been on a quest for answers for a very long time."  
  
"Why were you competing against Sora at the tournament?" Leon asked, becoming more intrigued with his friend by the moment.  
  
"A job." He remarked quickly, declaring he didn't wish to discuss that any longer. "But I've seen now I can't stay here."  
  
"What?" Leon asked in surprise. "There is a place for you here. It might be a little cramped at first but I'm sure we can make it work. And it would be great to have someone to go patrolling with. And we could help you remember." Though he paid no attention to it, Leon couldn't help but hear the nagging voice in the back of his head asking him why he was making such and effort to keep the blonde man here. And if he looked deep enough, he probably been able to determine it was not originating from his mind, but his heart.  
  
"It would be nice to stay for a while, perhaps learn a few things about myself I have forgotten. But it is something I simply cannot do. To stay would be placing you, Yuffie, Aerith, and this town into danger. I just can't stay."  
  
"Why?" Leon questioned. "What could happen by you staying?"  
  
Cloud climbed to his feet. "Nothing, I just can't stay." The blonde walked towards the bottom entrance to Merlin's house. "I'll be gone by the morning."  
  
"Wait!" Leon called, forcing Cloud to stop. "You can't go, after we just found you!" Cloud ignored the man, and continued walking towards the steps. "What about Aerith?" Leon struck a nerve in Cloud, and caused him to look back.  
  
Leon suddenly felt like a child underneath Cloud's piercing blue eyes, the eyes that had haunted him for so long. "I don't know about the past, but I'll assure you right now I can see her as nothing but a friend."  
  
"And tell my why you can't love her, as much as she loves you!" He demanded, taking steps towards Cloud. "She's spent this entire time looking for you because she loves you more then life!"  
  
Cloud sighed deeply, a sympathetic look on his features. "She is beautiful, and a wonderful, caring person. In any other instance I could find myself falling in love with her in a second. But I cannot love her because," He paused. "Because my heart belongs to another."  
  
"What woman!" Leon demanded, he had stalked forward to stand inches from the man, towering over him as best he could with a menacing look. "What woman could you love more then Aerith?!" He demanded once again to know.  
  
Cloud smiled, that same smile that developed right before he landed a critical blow in battle. "Who said it was a woman." And with a quick turn he was gone. 


	3. Chapter 3 Why are you running?

Broken Masks Notes: Thanks so much to everyone who has review; I love you all so much. Sorry this took a while, but I'm a perfectionist and I've had a million tests to take.  
  
Not Beta'd . . . I need a new one desperately. Chapter 3  
  
Sora approached Leon cautiously. He was unsure if he should go near the pacing man swinging his sword viciously through the air. Sora stood still, wondering if the man would notice his presence, and he had been standing still for a while. "Uh, Leon?" Sora said, moving just a bit closer.  
  
"I saw you there fifteen minutes ago, Sora." He did not falter in his exercises. "What did you want?" Sora scratched the back of his head, a goofy look on his face.  
  
"I just wanted to come and talk to you about a few things." Leon stopped swinging and was now giving his full attention to the young boy. "It's about the heartless. Cid just installed this wicked cool gummi block to a new world, the only problem is it's crawling with heartless bigger and stronger then anything I've ever dealt with."  
  
"It's because you're moving closer to the origin of the heartless. This will continue to happen until the heartless are gone. Perhaps you should go visit coliseum." Sora nodded.  
  
"But I was kind of wondering if I could rest here for a while. I know the heartless get stronger every second that passes, but I'm kind of worn out on fighting at the moment." Leon was silent making Sora nervous. "I also know it'll be cramped, with Cloud here and all."  
  
Sora jumped back in surprise as Leon gave him a harsh look. "Cloud won't be here for very long, he's leaving tomorrow." Leon stated, crossing his arms, his Gun blade now resting on the floor.  
  
"Well, uh-" Sora stuttered.  
  
"You can stay, but you'll have to stay with Merlin, and only if he approves." Sora nodded happily. "And you'll have to go patrolling with me." Leon looked past Sora suspiciously. "Where are the King's aids that are always following you around?"  
  
Sora dropped casually to the floor, sitting Indian style. "Donald and Goofy went back to Tarzan's world. They promised to help him and Jane with something, and it could take a while." Sora leaned back. "I would like to speak with Cloud though, could you tell me where he is?" Sora asked.  
  
Leon picked his Gunblade up off the floor. "A sparring match. If you win, I'll tell you where he went. But if I win, you have to spend the whole day and night here fighting me." Sora gulped hard and brought up his Keyblade to block as Leon lunged at him.  
~*~  
  
"I don't wish to speak about the subject, Yuffie." Aerith said, as the two women walked towards Merlin's house, having just made it to the second district doors. "And no amount of constant begging will change my mind." She added in for good measure, because one could never be too subtle with Yuffie.  
  
"But I'm the one who got Leon out of the room! So you and Cloud could have some time alone!" The young woman stated. "I at least deserve to know the details." Yuffie continued to whine.  
  
"One question." Aerith mumbled her words making Yuffie cheer and jump in the air slightly.  
  
"Are you a couple now?" she asked, hearts in her eyes.  
  
"No." Was the calm answer.  
  
Yuffie, expecting the other answer, tripped in her surprise and dropped to the floor. "What?" She asked, outraged. "Why not?! You and Cloud are the perfect couple; we've all known it since our childhood. What did he say to you?"  
  
Aerith was by mature a clam woman. And after having recovered from the pervious days events already, she felt comfortable enough to speak. "I said one question and you have asked three now."  
  
Yuffie sighed. "Can you give me a strait answer? If you do I promise I won't ask on the subject again." Aerith gave her a knowing look. "Well, not for a while." The younger added in just seconds later.  
  
"This Cloud is not the same one we grew up with." Aerith's voice was calm and collective. "He has changed, changed in ways I never thought possible. Cloud has let the darkness seep into his heart-and his soul." Aerith's own heart crushed at this revelation she had been denying until this point. "I'm not sure if he knows, but he's been touched by the darkness for a while, aiding what we are fighting."  
  
Yuffie frowned. "Have you told Leon or Cid yet?"  
  
"And break Leon's heart? Crush what little Leon can still feel?"  
  
"I just-" Yuffie started, the conversation having gone sour just moments ago.  
  
"I've seen the look Leon gives Cloud, looks he himself is not even aware of. Leon lusts for Cloud, possibly even loves him."  
  
Aerith bit her tongue from talking further. Ever since her world had been invaded and they had been drawn to Transvers Town, Aerith had carried her hope. Hope that Cloud would return to find her and offer her his love. But her hope had been broken when she had observed Leon and Cloud in the same room. Leon wanted Cloud, she mused, and more then she wanted Cloud.  
  
"But you and Cloud were always together, right up until the heartless invaded our world." Yuffie reasoned back. She knew the deep feelings that Aerith harbored for Cloud, knew the way the woman was breaking. In an ironic twist it was the same way Yuffie herself had broken when she had heard Leon calling out for Cloud in his sleep some months ago.  
  
"He doesn't remember anything of that sort. He confided in me that his oldest memory is the coliseum that Hercules resides in. He's forgotten all about me, but not him."  
  
Yuffie frowned at the tone of her friend's voice. "Who?"  
  
Aerith paused in the middle of the district and clenched her fists. "Leon." Yuffie felt the tension in the air. "Cloud remembers Leon." Yuffie was suddenly concerned at the tone of her friend. She had never witnessed the brunette angry, and Aerith was something much more then angry. She was Jealous.  
  
"Let's just get to Merlin, we need those new protective charms." Aerith stalked ahead, leaving a confused female ninja in her wake.  
  
~*~  
  
Cloud was concerned. More precisely he was worried, must more then he had been in the pervious month. He sat cross-legged on top of Merlin's roof, the one flat spot it offered. Lines creased his forehead, the pressure in his chest intensifying.  
  
He had known from the start it was a bad idea to come to the town. He had known he would draw the others with him, draw them to Yuffie, and Aerith, and Squall. He had known they would easily have picked up his trail from the coliseum. And yet he had still allowed himself to come to the town, and more so interact with the people here.  
  
Cloud's gaze settled on nothing particular as he rolled his thoughts over in his head. His original reason for traveling to the town was to allow his body enough time to heal. The wound he had acquired had been laced with a poison that blocked all his attempts to magically heal himself. He had assured himself he would be in and out of the town within a week's time. More then enough time to heal and avoid them.  
  
One arm cradled his broken ribs while his other fingered the blade of his sword. Uncharacteristically he found himself allowing his mind to wander further and further into his situation. He felt slightly lifted that Squall had wanted him to stay, but terrified of what would happen if he stayed.  
  
It was no big secret to Cloud that he was in serious mortal danger. He was being hunted, hunted by something that neither slept, nor ate, not paused. And he would be damned if he involved Squall in the matter. Cloud was sure he could take care of himself; he had been doing so for a while.  
  
"Thought I might find you up there." A calm voice called out.  
  
Cloud need not have looked down to realize it was the old man who had so graciously allowed him to rest on the roof. Slowly he uncurled his feet, and slid to the edge of the roof so he could see Merlin. "Do you require my help?" He asked, his ribs hurting him more then before.  
  
"I'd like to talk to you." Gone was the happy smile that always seemed to line the man's face. As was the optimistic attitude that had forced Cloud to think lightly.  
  
"Is this the young man?" Came a new voice.  
  
An older woman dressed in a blue gown stood next to Merlin. Cloud had never laid eyes on this old woman before, and was by nature wary of anyone he could not trust. See seemed nice enough, but Cloud remembered his past mistakes, mistakes that had hurt him greatly on his quest.  
  
"I'm Cinderella's fairy godmother, dear." The old woman stated. Cloud nodded and slipped down from the roof, arm dropping from his ribs when he came into view.  
  
"If you've come to inform me that I must leave because of what I draw to this town, I am well aware and will be departing shortly." Cloud remained defensive.  
  
The fairy godmother chuckled lightly and Merlin smiled. "No dear, I would never ask you to leave nor would Merlin. All beings have the right to reside here, this is a place of piece."  
  
"But you do know what clouds my soul. You know what hunts me." Merlin gave a short nod.  
  
"I want to offer you protection." Merlin stated. "But I doubt by that look you'll accept it." Cloud immediately became emotionless again; refusing to have the old man read his emotions so well again. "My magic is much stronger then Maleficent's, or-"  
  
"I appreciate the gesture." Cloud cut him off. "But I was foolish enough to create the problem, and now I must find the solution, however painful it might be. I will be leaving this town within hours; I cannot risk bringing any of them here. They cannot know that this town exists."  
  
At this both the fairy godmother and Merlin nodded. "This is possibly the last escape for those who have lost their homes. If anyone associated with the darkness was to find this place, the results would be devastating." Merlin said.  
  
But at the man's statement Cloud gave him a hard look. "Then why do you trust me with this secret? How do you know I will not tell Maleficent the exact location of this town and who resides here?" Cloud challenged. "Perhaps I'll lead heartless here myself and take over this town."  
  
"For the same reason Hercules gave you the location of this town." Merlin informed him. "Because you have been misled. You harbor troubling darkness in your heart, but that does not make you evil. You have been drifting for so long you have forgotten the feel of your own heart. You need only to rediscover it and the darkness will flee your body."  
  
Cloud nodded and stepped down the stairs to the moving, floating rocks that would take him away from Merlin's house. "This town's secret is safe."  
  
"There are those who would protect you here." The fairy godmother spoke. "Particularly one young man whom cares deeply for you."  
  
Cloud stiffened. "If you are speaking about Squall I can assure you that man feels nothing for me aside from anger."  
  
Cloud froze in his actions when a small giggle was heard from the old woman and a contained laughter from the man. "What?" He inquired, uncomfortable with the woman now.  
  
"You cannot see what's right in front of you, can you?" She asked. Squall Leonhart is head over heals in love with you. He might just now be realizing that, but it does not dispute that it is a fact. That man would protect you to death."  
  
"That is the very problem." Cloud turned away. "I cannot risk the lives of anyone here. And by staying I do that very thing. I thought I could avoid them." He confessed.  
  
"My dear boy, fate is very much inevitable. You would have found some way to reach this town." Merlin informed him. "You are heading to Hollow Bastion, are you not?"  
  
Cloud nodded. "But Ansem is still controlling that boy, and Maleficent is still in power. Won't you wait until Sora-" The godmother spoke up.  
  
"I need to take the chance. I need access to that library. The library holds my history, or at least something I can use. But this really isn't any of your concern." Cloud hopped from the platform to the first floating rock. "Would you please greet Sora for me, I did wish to speak with him again."  
  
"You can see him now." Cloud faced towards the old man's house, to spot the young man brushing past the cloth covering the entrance. Cloud could never understand how the old man knew so much. But on closer inspection he spotted a figure behind Sora, the very man he had been hoping to avoid.  
  
"Cloud!" Sora took off in a dead run towards the man. And Cloud was very thankful when Merlin intercepted the boy, asked to speak with him about his travels. It did not, however escape Cloud's eye that the old man had purposely nudged Leon towards him. 'Meddling old man.' Cloud ground his teeth together, watching Leon move slowly towards him, and Merlin lead the old woman and Sora away.  
  
"You're really going." Leon noted. "Not yet healed."  
  
Cloud stood silently. "I was not under the impression that I had misled you when I informed you I would be leaving in a short time. My apologies, but certain circumstances have required me to leave earlier then planed."  
  
Leon moved onto the small platform before Cloud. "Why?" One set of eyes locked on the other and Leon refused to back down. "Why are you running?" He demanded.  
  
"I am not running." Cloud made to hop to the next rock when a warm hand reached out to grasp his wrist. The stand off began as Leon edged forward and Cloud tried to pull away. "Release me." Cloud ordered.  
  
"Not until you tell me what you're running from. Why you are running from the only friends you have?" When Cloud tried to jerk away for the fourth time Leon pulled back and was able to easily pull the blond onto the platform, and very much close to his body. "Who are you running from?" He demanded again.  
  
"You!" With a burst of energy Cloud ripped his hand away and moved back as fast as possible. Unfortunately for the blonde the stones in the water did move. And while the first one might have been right in front of the platform seconds before, now it had moved completely to the right. Cloud's foot reached for something solid he would never find and hit the water with a loud splash.  
  
Cloud allowed himself to sink down in the icy water. His lungs did not burn for air yet and he was suddenly appreciative for the moment to solitude he found in the water. His eyes searched the murky waters for a place to come up for air, a place that would not contain Squall Leonhart.  
  
When he could find none and he was in dire need for air he began to move towards the surface. But in the darkness of the water a sleek shape moved quickly. Cloud saw this immediately and in his surprise he lost what precious air he had been holding. His lungs were red for air and his ribs burned. He found himself kicking less and less until he felt himself, weighed down by his sword, sink to the bottom.  
  
Suddenly strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and he felt his head break the surface. He was now gasping for air and clinging to the figure that had pulled him from the watery tomb.  
  
"Are you alright?" Leon asked him, his arm around Cloud's back supporting him. "I thought you were just joking around." Leon chuckled, trying to calm his breathing. "Then I realized that you don't joke."  
  
Cloud regained his senses and pushed away from Leon. He climbed to his feet, knees shaking slightly. "I have to go."  
  
Leon was on his own feet and rushing after Cloud. "Wait." He caught the man in another embrace, ignoring his mind chiding him for becoming so emotional. "Don't run. Don't you dare run from me."  
  
"I have to." Cloud was actually allowed to pull away.  
  
"Don't leave me." Leon said taking a step back. "Stay here, help me protect what is left."  
  
Cloud shook his head and began to move from the rock to rock. "I can't stay, you just don't understand."  
  
Leon clenched his fists and began to move after the man. Leon found it much more difficult to keep his balance on the floating rocks, being weighed down by his wet clothing and Gunblade. He watched in astonishment as Cloud moved seemingly effortlessly, but determinedly. "Then at least promise me something!" Leon yelled, his voice echoing loudly. "Promise me you'll come back!"  
  
Cloud hopped onto the sand of the shore and looked back to Leon halfway from the small house. "You seem to know me so well." He stated. "So you must know I cannot make that kind of promise."  
  
Sora had now exited the house and was racing towards Leon and Cloud. "Wait, Cloud, don't go!"  
  
Cloud felt the small urges of a smile beginning to surface. "Hello, Sora." Sora rushed past Leon as fast as possible, meeting the much taller figure on the shore.  
  
"You were going to leave without talking to me, weren't you?" Sora accused, crossing his arms. "Aren't we friends?"  
  
Cloud moved down onto one knee, keeping Leon in side view. "Of course we are friends, Sora." His voice went low. "And being such I must ask you to do something very important for me. Would you please keep an eye on Sq- Leon for me? That man is very reckless at times."  
  
Sora chuckled nervously. "You want me to keep an eye on a guy with a sword as big as me?"  
  
"I'm trusting you with this Sora, as one of my closest friends." Sora nodded, accepting his new side mission. "Just for the duration of your stay is all I ask, while I'm away."  
  
"Where're you going?" He asked, curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
"To my old home. There is something I need to do there, someone I need to speak with. Hollow Bastion has been in the back of my mind for some time now."  
  
"Hollow Bastion? I've never heard of that place."  
  
Cloud shook his head. "It isn't important to you yet, there are still many worlds for you to visit before you encounter a place such as Hollow Bastion." When Cloud had moved but five steps away Sora spoke again.  
  
"Maybe you can't keep your promise to Leon."  
  
Cloud smirked. "Ever the perceptive one."  
  
"But I will keep my promise to you-under one condition." Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Don't do anything reckless."  
  
Cloud nodded. "Far enough. I will try my best to honor your request."  
  
Cloud disappeared away from the house and Sora hopped back to Leon. "Why-" Leon began to ask while Sora moved past him.  
  
Sora chuckled. "And all those years Riku said I was dense." 


	4. Chapter 4 Save the Town

Broken Masks  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
"Sora!" The young brown haired boy sidestepped a blow meant to decapitate him and turned in the direction of the voice. "They're breaching the doors to the first district!" Leon shot a finger to the wooden doors being broken at the very moment. "Freeze them, electrocute them, just do something!" Leon gasped in pain as a heartless' claw made contact with the open skin on his arms, having discarded his jacket earlier.   
  
"I can't get to them!" Sora took another swipe at the heartless, confused when it ducked and launched back at him in anger. "They're so smart now, why?" Behind him a heartless embedded a foot into his back and sent him sprawling out onto the hard floor. Sora lost his grip on the key blade and the second he lost contact with it; the powerful tool was lost to the eyes.   
  
"Hold on, Sora!" Leon made a mad dash past the heartless to the fallen boy. "I'm not gonna lose you too!" Though his feet carried him as fast as possible, Leon knew far ahead of time that he wouldn't make it to Sora in time. The boy was simply too far away and Leon had to dodge too many heartless bent on their destruction.  
  
"I've got you!" Leon stopped dead in his tracks as the heartless surrounding Sora were destroyed and the ones around him disappeared into the ground. Leon looked confused and glanced his battle filled eyes towards the corridor to the third district.   
  
"Don't just stand there," Yuffie commanded. "We still have a fight to win!"   
  
Leon could see distinctively now that it had been her ninja stars that had destroyed the heartless around Sora. "Yuffie?" He questioned. "I thought it told you to evacuate," He chided the woman. He took a quick swipe at a heartless that had been foolish enough to appear close to him while the others kept their distance.   
  
The young girl placed her hands on her hips. "I tried," she told him, taking aim to knock out a few gathering heartless. "But the people wouldn't leave, they're fighting back." She took a quick step to the side to reveal Aerith awkwardly holding a short sword and Cid gripping his daggers with white knuckles. "We tried, honest, but they wouldn't listen."  
  
"The heartless!" Sora drew attention to the heartless that had once again gained forces and were attacking him. "Those people will be killed!" Sora's eyes were wide with panic as he called his key blade forth. We're totally out numbered!"  
  
Yuffie somersaulted her way out of an attack and looked back to make sure Aerith was fairing all right. "You can't stop those who wish to protect their homes, Sora. We'd rather die fighting for what we have left, then run away and drift in space."  
  
Leon slashed down at a team of heartless that had overtaken Aerith momentarily. "What about the wards? How the hell did this many find this place?" In the back of his mind Leon knew there was a possibility Cloud had betrayed them. He was the only person who knew of the town's existence and of its importance. Cloud was a high possibility.  
  
"No one knows!" Aerith answered, excited she had finally destroyed a heartless. "Merlin is trying to strengthen the wards they've broken through, but his home has been breached and we lost track of where he was. Everything is happening so fast!"  
  
"What the--?" Leon broke off in confusion as the heartless around them sank into the ground and moved quickly away from them. Leon wiped the blood he felt trickling down the side of his face away and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the sudden bout of dizziness. The world was spinning just slightly, causing him to assume he had been stuck in the head harder then he had first imagined.  
  
Cid stood next to him, breathing hard after being forced to fight so hard at his older age. "Why are they leaving?" He asked. "Did we win?" Leon shrugged, not really sure if they had worn the creatures out, or if something worse was coming. It seemed as if they had been losing, and the heartless weren't known for retreating. "We won!"  
  
A low chuckle caused Leon's blood to run cold. "Sorry to burst your bubble." Leon frowned as a dark puddle began to form in front of the fountain. Naturally a heartless would emerge from such a puddle, but Leon had a feeling that it was much more. It was not a creature that emerged, then possibly Leon considered it might be. Whatever it was, the manlike figure that emerged in a blue flame gifted him with a chilling smile of pain and the distinct feeling of pure evil.   
  
"Who the hell are you?" Cid asked. In return Leon shot the man a quick warning glance, but such glance was almost spoiled by a smile, when he spotted Cid's usual toothpick back in the corner of his mouth.  
  
"That's not important," The robed man assured them. "But I've got some questions that are."  
  
Leon tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the sudden urge to protect himself and those around him. This new figure was not a heartless, and yet he had the feeling of a heartless. Suddenly he remembered Cid's words and turned to him, his suspicions confirmed. He was one of the big bosses. This was no little battle that was going to unfold; it was going to be an all out war.  
  
"What sort of questions?" Yuffie asked, being shielded purposely by Leon.  
  
The figure slicked his invisible hair back quickly, the flame returning to his head seconds later. "I've been looking for someone," He told them. "And the heartless have led me to this place, and I want to know where he is."  
  
"We don't know what you're taking about." Sora addressed him for the first time.   
  
"But I have good feeling you do." He told Sora. "You know exactly who I want, and I'll destroy your sorry excuse of a town to get him. I hope you really didn't think I wouldn't find him here." The man like creature paced a short distance, blue flame hair turning a wicked orange-red. "That little no body thinks he can weasel his way out of our contract. We had a deal, and I want to collect my share."  
  
Leon took a quick step forward and raised his sword. "For the last time, we don't know what you're talking about. You have no business here, leave now."  
  
"Not until I get what is mine!" The figure burst into red flames and Leon was forced to take a half step back from the heat. "I'll rip this town apart to find that one winged freak." Leon felt his stomach drop into his feet and he was gripped with icy fear. This thing had to be looking for Cloud, had to be the reason Cloud was injured and had been forced to hide in the town. And he obviously wanted Cloud back.  
  
The figure caught the quick looking Leon's eyes and a sinister smile grew on his face. "You wouldn't happen to be hiding him from me, would you?" He managed, the red becoming a flickering blue again. "That wouldn't be smart or healthy for you."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Leon said convincingly. There is no one here, other then who you see. Leave us in peace and we won't have any forced confrontations." Leon's eyebrows furrowed, for once thankful Cloud had left days ago. Leon wouldn't kid himself; he knew he would not win a fight against the fiery figure. And that meant he couldn't protect Cloud. The blonde was better protected far away from the menacing figure that wanted him.  
  
Sora shook his head again. "You have to believe us, we don't know what you're talking about." His key blade slipped out of sight and he hoped it hadn't been seen. "Hades, we're simple people here."  
  
Hades rolled his eyes. "You, simple, Key Blade Master?" He chuckled. "You're anything but simple. But I am afraid you'll have to die." Hades offered him a small smirk before he reached for thin air and sent a powerful wave of dark energy towards the normally energetic boy. "I won't have you standing in my way!"   
  
Sora raised his arms to brace himself when the blast suddenly ended. He had first expected to see Leon, guessing the older male had blocked the blast or taken it instead. But it was then he realized he was no longer standing on the ground of the second district. Leon did not save him; he was in the arms of Riku instead.   
  
Sora blinked confused blue eyes as Riku landed them safely onto of a nearby roof. Knowing it was wrong Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's neck stronger and hugged the older to his body. "What the hell are you doing?" Came Hades' angered voice down below them. Sora felt the warm arms holding him release and he was set gently on the top of the roof.  
  
"We had a deal as well, Hades, and you were not prepared to honor it." Riku called down to him. "Are you injured?" Riku asked Sora quickly, not offering him a look.   
  
"I thought I'd lost you, Riku." Sora wanted nothing more then to throw his arms around Riku and embrace the silver haired teen for the longest of time. But even with his untrained eyes, Sora could tell there was something different with Riku. The older was somewhat distant, almost cold. "Yeah," He said finally. "I'm fine."  
  
Sora leaned over the edge of the roof as Riku took a quick drop down to the recent battle scene. "You hurt him, and I'll hurt you," Riku threatened.   
  
"He knows where Cloud is," Hades argued back. "I wasn't going to kill him."  
  
Sora managed to slide down the building and landed roughly near Riku. He climbed to his feet rubbing his back, sad eyes on Riku. "You're working with them, Riku, aren't you? Why are you working with the heartless? They're what destroyed our world, took us all away from what we loved. The heartless took us away from each other. You're fighting against me, Riku."  
  
"Leave him alone, he's mine," Riku warned Hades a last time. "And leave, who you're looking for isn't here." Riku gazed once more back at the saddened form of Sora. "You can't beat the heartless Sora, and by helping them I guarantee our safety. We'll be together Sora, just not right now." Riku allowed the darkness to flow over his body and vanish into the darkness, retreating back to whom he knew could help him."  
  
Leon had observed the exchange and felt anger boil within him. As if they did not already have enough problems. Their Key Blade Master was now involved with a boy who was aiding the darkness. Their one safe place to rest had now been revealed to the heartless and Cloud's life was in even more danger then he had first realized. "You know where he is," Hades felt the darkness wash over him. "And I'll make you feel his pain when I find him."  
  
"What was that?" Aerith asked quietly.  
  
"That," Leon remarked, "Was big trouble." The heartless around them had since vanished, only a few healing balls and munny left in their place. "Cid, how much damage did the heartless do to the port?"  
  
"Pretty bad," He informed them. "Half the ships were damaged beyond flying capability, but I think yours survived when we started shooting the heartless down. I'm almost certain yours and a few others survived."  
  
Leon nodded. "Yuffie, guard the town. Close down the shops, secret entrances and keep everyone indoors. Try to turn people away from this town if they want to dock. And if it's possible, lock down the second and third districts. Every heartless now knows about this place and we'll be overrun if we pretend nothing just happened. Concentrate on keeping everyone safe in the first district and try to evacuate them as soon as possible." He offered her a conforting pat on the shoulder as he rested his Gunblade on his shoulder and strode off towards the first district and town port.  
  
"Wait! Leon, where are you going?" Yuffie called.  
  
"I'm going to find Cloud. That thing wants him and I'm not going to let him find Cloud."  
  
Yuffie frowned. "You don't even know where Cloud went, you can't just fly around in Gummi space and hope to find him. If he doesn't want to be found, he's not going to be and you know that."  
  
"I'll find a way!" Leon told her, pushing on the half broken first district doors.  
  
"I know where he went." Sora volunteered quietly. Leon drew back almost immediately. "He said something about a going to a place called Hollow Bastion, said there was someone there he needed to talk to and there were some answers he needed to find."  
  
Aerith looked terrified. "But the heartless still control that place. And Ansem will be waiting along with Malificent if they know he's going there. He'll be walking into a death trap, and so will you if you follow him. You can't go after him, you'll be killed!"  
  
"I'm not going to sit back while he's killed either! I'm not going to leave him alone and defenseless in a place he has no memory of. I've got to be there to help him, to-to protect him."  
  
Aerith clenched her fists in silent anger. Cloud was lost to them now, to her especially. But she wasn't going to lose Leon as well. There were no illusions that they were winning against the darkness. They knew going in that it was a lost cause, a predestined fate to fight a losing battle. But they had each other no matter what, they clung to each other as lifelines and shared love. But they had lost too many people each and as a group. And just as they had thought they had regained Cloud, he had left them and was long dead by their current time. "You can't be there, Leon! You can't protect him because you aren't strong enough, you can't be there for him because he won't let you, and you can't go to him because he's already dead!"  
  
"He is not dead. I expected you to know him better then that. And maybe I can't save him, or make him understand why I want to. But I can be there for him when he needs me, and I can die for him."  
  
Leon was gone and Aerith was in shock. "If Cloud is going to be near Malificent, then Riku is going to be there too! I'm going with him!" Sora took off after Leon hopeful he could catch up with the fast walking man.  
  
Cid sighed and crossed his arms. "That went well."  
  
  
  
"Stupid Heartless," Cloud muttered as he inspected the claw marks in his cape. He had expected interference into the castle, and had been prepared to fight his way in. But what he had encountered had been almost more then he had been able to handle. Just making his way to the castle gates had exhausted him and caused a fiery hot pain to shoot through his body. And the entrance hall had been even more difficult. He had up until that point managed to scare off the heartless, for he would never have forgiven himself if he had destroyed one. But the heartless in the entrance way had overwhelmed him and he had been forced to strike out.  
  
Now resting against the inside doors of the library, he could feel the anguish washing over him. He had lost his temper and he had killed. And because he had not been able to contain his feelings, he would never know if he had known who that had been. He would never meet them in the future when Sora set everything right. He would never have a clear conscious, not that he really ever had one. But his one claim had been that he had never killed. And a heartless wasn't just a heartless. It was a person who had let the darkness seep into their heart. He had killed a person who could have been given a second chance.  
  
But reality drew him away from his dark thoughts and back to his cape that had been practically destroyed. Finally concluding that it would be pointless to keep it, he discarded it on the ground and raised himself to a standing position.   
  
His fingers came out to run across the books on the shelves in amazement. There was some deep memory; he could feel that much in his mind and heart. There was something about the castle, but the library specifically that he felt a connection with. The castle was not evil; the walls were neutral as were the books and the windows. The power within the castle was not evil either. The evil emanating from the castle was in the form of a person, of a place rather. Maybe neither, perhaps the evil he felt was merely a feeling, a conscious thought that influenced destruction and chaos.   
  
Cloud slowly made his way through the small maze of bookshelves on the first level, silently and quickly memorizing the way he had come. He was frustrated at himself mostly. There was something about that castle that he remembered, something about it that struck a nerve in his heart. But the harder he tried to remember why he felt safe in the mist of heartless and danger was beyond his comprehension.   
  
He took the steps of the staircase cautiously, knowing that he was not alone in the castle and his presence had already been detected. Just because the heartless had refused to follow him into the library did not mean that they could not if they desired to. It was simply his ignorance of them that limited his adventurous nature. He would be tempted, but he would never again strike out at them. He would never destroy them as Sora did so easily, or as Squall did to protect the town.  
  
"You've come back." Cloud looked up sharply at the voice from the top of the stairs. His eyes searched the figure of the man standing above him, harboring a genuine smile. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you would come home."  
  
"Home?" Cloud asked confused at the way the male was talking to him. "Am I supposed to know you? This is my home?" He gripped the rail as he gazed up at the beautiful sliver haired male.   
  
"You have forgotten me, what we had," He told Cloud. "But fate has brought you back to me and I will help you remember. You will remember me." The man took a step down and Cloud backed away, noticing the black aura surrounding him.   
  
"You're a heartless," Cloud spoke evenly.   
  
The male shook his head. "I merely have the shadow of one. I'm using the power they possess for the time being; until I gain enough of my own to take myself back to our world, and you too. I'm going to take you with me, Cloud. I've been waiting a long time for you."  
  
They met eyes and Cloud was struck with the distinct feeling of familiar. He knew this man, knew him from long before anyone else. This man was special to him, or had been at one time, even if he was a heartless at the moment. "Who are you?" Cloud asked him.   
  
"Me?" He pointed at himself as a smile spread. "You'll remember me soon, I'm Sephiroth."  



	5. Chapter 5: Start the Rescue

Broken Masks: Chapter Five  
  
Authors Notes: um . . . . Merry Christmas '02? There really isn't a good excuse for getting this up sooner, other then I'm lazy and had really bad writers block. That and I've been paying more attention to my new obsessions. I've started off on a NASCAR kick and I've been writing stories left and right. But seeing as this is my only fic that is a multi-chapter, I'll try my best to churn these chapters out faster with good content.  
  
I'd also like to state that I got home from school around four and it's about Seven now. I wrote this whole thing up in about three hours. Now by the time it gets to you people days will have passed, but the reality is that I can write these things out that fast. So I'm gonna try and work on chapter six on Thursday and have it up by Monday. I need to go take some Advil for my back ache now . . . reminder to self . . . get a chair, no more using a stool for the computer.  
  
Chapter Five:  
  
Sora swallowed heavily as he managed a glance out of the corner of his eye. Though it was a cliché, Sora could almost cut the tension in the room. Since first launching the Gummi ship from the destroyed port, Sora had busied himself with the sonar and weapons alignment of Leon's advanced ship. It was a complicated system that had taken him a while to figure out on his own. And he had done it on his own, immediately deciding Leon wasn't the person to be speaking with at the moment.  
  
The tall brown haired male had swiftly climbed in the pilot's chair and hadn't moved since they launched. Occasionally Sora would be able to hear an annoyed grunt or see Leon lash out at his ship with a quick fist. But for the most part both males sat in silence.  
  
Sora wanted to talk about Cloud. He wanted to talk about Hallow Bastion too. But more importantly he wanted to talk about what had Leon so spooked about Cloud being in Hallow Bastion. Best he had been able to place was that Leon had spent an expanded amount of time at Hallow Bastion, but hadn't been back since the heartless had invaded. Sora wanted to know why Leon thought Cloud couldn't take care of himself. Cloud had showed nothing but strength as fast as Sora was concerned, and could phantom the one winged angel needing someone.  
  
Leon didn't want to talk about Cloud-couldn't talk about him. Leon couldn't let his mind wander, or his mouth for that much. He couldn't risk letting his heart talk for him. Then again, he was letting his heart lead him. And worse, it was leading Sora along with them. Leon knew from the beginning that involving Sora in Hallow Bastion too early was a large mistake. The young boy wasn't ready for the evil of Hallow Bastion. But through certain events Leon pressed that Sora would have to make due.  
  
"You love him?"  
  
Leon frowned and turned in his chair just a bit, so he might see Sora out of the corner of his vision. He knew he couldn't have heard him correctly. Of all the things to say in their trip this could not be what Sora had chosen.  
  
"Do you?"  
  
Leon looked immediately back to the empty space. "That's none of your business," Leon hissed.  
  
"You love him." This was a statement.  
  
Leon searched for a rebuttal but it seemed his mouth would not work. He wanted desperately to tell Sora he did not love Cloud. Finally he found choice words in his head and turned to look Sora in the eyes. "Don't you have more important things to think about?" Leon immediately regretted his words. Those were not the words that we supposed to have come from his mouth. He was supposed to have told Sora that Cloud was a dear friend he could not bear to lose.  
  
Leon slouched in his seat, Gummi ship on Auto Pilot. Did he love Cloud? Could he honestly say he loved the blonde who seemed to steal his breath each and every time he entered a room. The blonde who's presence alone set off uncontrolled desire that washed through his body and made him want to ravish his red lips?  
  
He knew for sure he would give his life for Cloud. He would do his best to make sure Cloud survived, no matter what. He would make sure Cloud got to go home after the heartless had been beaten back. He would see Cloud safe with his last breath if necessary.  
  
But did that mean he loved Cloud?  
  
"I love Riku," Sora told him quietly. "I've loved Riku since I can remember. He's always been there to hold me, and protect me. He's always made sure the kids at school didn't pick on me. And made sure nothing ever came between us." Sora's voice dropped off. "Something did come between us though."  
  
Leon nodded. "But if the choice comes, can you choose your destiny over Riku?"  
  
Sora had no real answer. He wanted nothing more then to be back on the beach under the warm sand with Riku lying next to him. The waves washing up on their feet and cooling them in the warm weather. How could he be expected to kill the person that meant the most to him?  
  
"Sora!" Leon snapped, disliking the silence immensely. "You have to understand winning this war is more important then myself, you or Riku. If we don't win this we're all going to die. The first worlds have been attacked, but each and every one that exists will follow. Every thing that is living will die. Everything!"  
  
Sora nodded numbly. He understood.  
  
"What about you?" He understood, but pushed back. Leon was caught off guard. "What if you had to kill Cloud to win the war? What if it comes down to his life or everyone else's?"  
  
Leon's hands froze in his lap, and his heart skipped a beat. He had pledged to himself a long time ago that he would never hurt Cloud. He would never be the cause of any pain, much less death! He couldn't kill Cloud if it was the end. He couldn't take his sword and drive it through Cloud's heart, even if the man became evil. Leon would choose Cloud's life over his own and everyone else's. He was being a hypocrite and he knew it. But his stance was staying. He couldn't kill Cloud, and he would stop anyone from trying.  
  
"You love him." Sora was back to that. But this time Leon wasn't trying to form words of disagreement.  
  
~  
  
"No!" Cloud shook his head, backing away from the taller man who had taken a near stance in front of him. "I don't know who you are and I don't want anything to do with you." Cloud took stronger steps. "You're not going to tell me where to go, and I'm certainly not going anywhere with you."  
  
Sephiroth's smile never left his face, allowing Cloud his room. "If only you remembered what we shared, you would never harbor distrust for me. We are one, Cloud. We are supposed to be together, we belong together."  
  
Fear clutched Cloud as his back bumped a shelf and he couldn't move any further. He could not and would not believe that he belonged with this new face that called himself Sephiroth. He wanted to be with Squall, not with Sephiroth.  
  
But his intelligence bit back with a vengeance reminding him that Squall was not the one he was searching for. Before Squall had over taken his mind and heart, he had been searching for another. He had been looking desperately for his other half whom he had been separated from when their world had collapsed. Something told him this was the man who he had been wanting. This man was supposed to make him feel safe and warm, yet Squall did that with merely a thought.  
  
"No," Cloud told him. "I belong with Squall."  
  
Cloud was taken back at the sneer that slipped past Sephiroth's smile. The man that had been so warm and inviting had suddenly turned angry. "I see Squall has managed to corrupt your mind." Sephiroth's anger had faded and he now stood completely in front of Cloud. "He's an evil person that wants to take you away from me. He wants to keep you in this world that is falling apart. I want to take you where it's safe. I want to keep you safe from people like him." Cloud was taken back, but forced his face to show none of it. "I know you can't remember anything, and that he's filled your mind with lies," Sephiroth placed both hands on Cloud's shoulders. "I hoped you would find me first, so I could protect you from lies."  
  
Cloud knew his words were false. He could remember some things. He could remember brief memories of his childhood that involved himself and Squall happy. They had been acquaintances in early years and friends in the middle. Towards the end memories began to blur, but Cloud believed they were more. So where had Sephiroth come from? Where had he gotten the notion that they belonged together?  
  
And the lies? Squall had never lied to him, because you couldn't lie about true feelings. Cloud had felt the truth in Squall's words when he had asked him not to leave the town. Squall had wanted him there, to help him protect the town and more. Squall never lied to him about anything. Squall didn't lie period.  
  
"You're fake, and you're not bringing me down with false words!"  
  
The gentle hands on his shoulders turned harsh and Cloud was forced into submission as Sephiroth leaned in close. "You'll have to understand a few things Cloud. This isn't a choice. You belong to me, and I'm not going to lose you to Squall. I got rid of him before and I'll get rid of him again."  
  
Cloud's eyes widen at the threat to the man he held close in his heart. With a bout of strength he managed to push Sephiroth off him and back. "You're not going to hurt Squall! I won't let you!" His legs buckled under him and he sank to the floor. "You're why I can't remember anything!" Cloud accused the recovered man. "You tried to erase Squall!"  
  
"Yes," Sephiroth freely admitted. "I tried to erase everything, but by the time I reached your memories of him, time had run out and our world was being destroyed. I attempted to implant and urge for you to find me, but it seems to have only half worked." The silver haired male's smile fell back into place and dark energy began to gather in his hands. "But now I have all the time in the world. I promise to get it right this time."  
  
~  
  
Deeper in Hallow Bastion a meeting was being held. Darkness was gathering from the worlds the Key Blade Master had not reached yet. At the head of the group stood Maleficent, raven on her shoulder and staff in hand. Very little light entered the room, and most illumination came from the form of Hades, whom at this time was near bright red.  
  
"They're hiding him from me!" Hades accused. "Each and every one of them. And him too!" Hades pointed a condemning finger at Riku's small form.  
  
"Calm yourself," Maleficent ordered, eyes moving from Hades to Riku. "Are the words true? Have you been concealing whom Hades seeks?"  
  
Riku smirked and crossed his arms. "Much as I'd like to annoy the big blue flame, I've got better things to worry about. I gain nothing from hiding the man, and therefore do not do it."  
  
"He's been meddling in our plans though!" Hades began again. "He saved the Key Blade Master from death just recently. He's aiding them!"  
  
"Nonsense!" Snapped Maleficent. "Riku is allowed anything he wants. He desires the boy and has the right to claim him. The Key Blade Master has little hope of stopping us, and Riku shall indulge himself far as he wishes."  
  
Hades' flames sparked again, and Riku couldn't resist. "If you cared so much you'd know he has already entered the castle. The library to be precise."  
  
"He is no longer your concern," Maleficent told Hades. "You were merely to lure him to the castle. You are finished. Return to the coliseum and ensure our presence."  
  
Hades' temper boiled over as he vanished away, swearing revenge upon Riku and Sora, but most importantly Cloud.  
  
"He's showing too much interest in him," Riku remarked. "Though I can't see what he'd want."  
  
"And why is this Cloud so important?" Captain Hook asked, hook running through his mustache.  
  
Oogie Boogie nodded. "Yeah, why should we be wasting so much time on that little punk?"  
  
Maleficent snapped her staff down heavily, calling an order. "He's resistant," She told them quietly. "The darkness has seeped into his heart willingly and it has not managed to take him over. He should be a merciless heartless, yet he has kept his wits and fights to win his heart back. He is resilient, strong and willed. He is simply the perfect candidate. Ansem cannot yet take form in this world and we cannot wait for such opportunity. But we can transfer him into another, and then have him reclaim his body at a later time."  
  
"Is Ansem going to be satisfied?" Riku asked. "Cloud comes with a lot of baggage. He has a solid friendship with Sora, perhaps too solid. And the there is that man Leon. He's in love; his heart will never be corrupted so he can never be used. This man could grow to be a thorn in our sides, and he should be disposed of before he reaches our position. And lest we forget the one winged man that is very much out of place in the library. He's established wards that neither you nor myself can break. He's invincible there, and anyone who remains with him is protected as well. How do you plan to lure Cloud out of his grasp? There are lift passages that can take them to any part of the castle without our knowledge. We are weakened by his presence."  
  
"We cannot differ this path," Maleficent made to move from the room. "We must have Cloud's body before Ansem can have his mind. Once the switch is made our plans will be final and we will win this war. Dispose of the man named Leon and find some way to draw Cloud out."  
  
The woman was almost from the room when she paused at the doorway. "Gaston, accompany me. I have work for you." The French man strode forth, a sneer of self-satisfaction on his face. Riku shook his head at the arrogance, feeling another of their allies was flawed.  
  
Maleficent's presence had been absent from the room for many seconds before Riku risked breathing heavily. "She's making a mistake." He told his companions. "She's going after big things too fast and she's going to get herself swallowed whole."  
  
"What are you suggesting?" Captain Hook asked, attention sparked.  
  
"A revolt?" Cruella De Vil hinted.  
  
"Nothing!" Riku snapped, arms waving. "Right now we do nothing! Return to your places."  
  
"Mind yourself," Ratcliffe shot to Riku. "Tongues slip easily with the threat of pain."  
  
The spoken and unspoken members of the meeting shuffled slowly from the room some leaving physically and some allowing the darkness to consume them in transportation. "We do nothing until I am ready."  
  
Riku strode from the room in assurance, feet slapping the cold stone floors softly. He passed through the lifts mechanically, having memorized the passage a long time before. Though this time he did not pass upwards on the lifts, but downwards towards the dungeons. He walked smoothly past the heavily locked cells that contained creatures and people that were far too strong to be destroyed, and those that did pose a danger to helping Sora in some way.  
  
At the final cell in the long hallway he paused, turning to face the three occupants. "I need a favor."  
  
One of the fairies hitched up her dress and stalked towards him. "Ooooh! What makes you think we'll help you?" Flora demanded.  
  
"You help me and don't caught, and I'll allow you to escape." Riku retrieved their wands and held them within sight distance. "I need a small little favor in order to make sure Maleficent doesn't get what she needs," He paused, taking in the green, blue and red small women. "I need you to cast a spell."  
  
~  
  
As their Gummi ship hovered over Hallow Bastion Leon and Sora exchanged worried glances. "So this is it?" Sora asked, hands and nose placed against the windows of the ship, staring down at the haunting castle. "There's no turning back?"  
  
Leon shook his head, reaching into his pocked and pulling out a small oddly colored Gummi block. "This is for you, Sora." He delivered the important object into gloved hands. "This castle is protected by dark magic that will not allow us to return to the ship in a panic. Until a major source of darkness is cleared away everyone will be trapped. But with this you can avoid being stuck. If such a time arrives you'll be allotted a one way trip back to the ship if to desire it."  
  
Leon's eyes turned hard and suddenly Sora was aware of the severity of the situation. "I'm not kidding you here Sora. When we go down I'm counting on you to get out when it becomes too much."  
  
"But what about you? You'll be trapped if we can't both get back to the ship!"  
  
Leon nodded. "I plan on being trapped. I'm going after Cloud, and I'm going to risk my life willingly. You're just too important for you to risk your own, not yet. If I can't rescue Cloud we're going to die together." Leon paused, a strained smile on his lips. "Damn irony," He whispered. "I'm going to die with the man I love."  
  
Sora reached up to place a hand on Leon's arm. "If you really love him and he really loves you, neither of you will die."  
  
"You still sure you want to do this?" Leon asked him. "Not too late to back out. I won't think anything of you if you want to stay and get the hell out of here as soon as I'm gone."  
  
Sora frowned determinedly. "I can't run anymore. I know I'm not ready to go up against Maleficent or anyone else in there, but I can't run from my friends. Riku taught me always to stick behind the people that we love. So when I go in here with you, it isn't by obligation. It's by love."  
  
Leon held out his hand to Sora. "Thanks," Sora met it and they shared a last glimpse of hope. "For a kid you're not so bad."  
  
Sora's face twisted into anger as they began to disappear from the ship. "Who're you calling a kid!" His voice was gone suddenly along with his body, as he and Leon were transported down to the front gates.  
  
tbc 


	6. Chapter 6: Not according to plans

Broken Masks: Chapter Six  
  
A/N: I'm sorry if this comes out all messed up. If it is, I'll fix it. The last two times I tried to post it came out all weird. Work with me here.  
  
Riku was pleased. As he erased his presence from the guards of the dungeon he could not help but praise himself. He had successfully completed his task. There had been sacrifices, and with the escape of the fairy godmothers Maleficent would be less than pleased. But it was a fair trade and he would stand her fury to see his own plan through. Of course he would have to see for himself when the time was right, but they had assured him the spell was in place and would not be broken. They were convinced Maleficent herself could not break it-exactly what Riku wanted.  
  
He had derailed from her plans long before he himself had become aware. His motives had switched from simply insuring a future for himself and Sora, to wanted a future with power. He knew he had fed off the darkness for far too long and that it was beginning to consume him. But he was confident it would never dissolve him completely. After he took out Maleficent the worlds would be left to him. But that of course still left the problem of Ansem.  
  
If the spell had gone correctly then Maleficent's plan should have become spoiled. It would be a great time before she noticed and it gave Riku the opportunity to sway his companions. If the others could be turned to him it would increase his odds greatly. And some of them were showing signs that Riku readied to take advantage of.  
  
After everything was done he would be left alone, and finally he would achieve peace. It would be just the two of them, Sora and Riku, just like it should have been from the beginning. After Kairi was found and her heart claimed there would be no interference from outside forces. And if necessary Riku would see to the King's aids and have them destroyed.  
  
Riku ventured deeper into Hallow Bastion and towards his room. Once inside he sat himself upon the bed. He would however need to deal with Hades soon. The God was becoming far too annoying. Hades was prying too deep and it worried Riku. Maleficent was no idiot, and if his plan were exposed but a bit, his fate would be decided at that very moment. Riku still couldn't see what the God wanted with Cloud. Yes, the man was very beautiful and skilled. But he was also pure trouble. He was a deadly assassin with the possibility to become a god himself. Anyone who could not contain and keep him in submission was not going to have a bright future. Hades had proved that he could not handle Cloud.  
  
Riku narrowed his eyes. Perhaps in his haste he had overlooked something. While often acting foolish, Hades was not. The more Riku thought about it, the more he became puzzled. He should have seen it before. Hades would not invest as much time in the man as he had done, if there was not a large promise. Riku noticed Cloud had contacts everywhere. Maleficent desired his body, Sora his friendship, and Hades his soul. Hades' power would become unfathomable with Cloud's soul. All in all Cloud was a remarkable person.  
  
But before everything, he would have to see to the Angel occupying their library. From his first day in the castle Maleficent had explained in great detail the occupation of the library. He-Sephiroth-had been there since before Maleficient. He had been there since the worlds had begun to fall and had erected unbreakable barriers. Those who entered without permission drew great pain to themselves. The only time anyone was able to enter the library occurred when the Angel left, or when he was in peace. These times were few and brief, but they allowed time to plant dangerous dark energy.  
  
Riku scoffed. Maleficent believed if she rooted the Angel with dark energy and turned him, then he would become far more manageable. In theory it might have worked, if the Angel were normal. What it had actually done had been far worse. It seemed to fuel him and enlarge his power. By the time Maleficent caught on, he had become a large force that none challenged.  
  
Riku relaxed back on the bed and folded his hands over his stomach. Sephiroth wouldn't be a problem much longer. Riku knew just how to deal with him.  
  
~*~  
  
"This has got to be the worst conceived idea ever!" Cid gripped the controls to the shaking Gummi ship and ground his teeth together. Please baby, Cid thought, just hold together long enough to get us out of here. "I can't believe you talked me into this!"  
  
Behind him Aerith and Yuffie shared a look. While neither would admit it, both were feeling slight regret for deciding to charge after Leon. And both were feeling sick, both in having ulterior motives. Both women were steadily realizing their mistake and feeling horribly for dragging Cid into their mess. Cid being the only innocent one in their trip.  
  
"If you had given me fifteen more minutes I might have been able to install an upgrade!" He was referring to the Gummi block that allowed them to travel instantly to other worlds. But without it the broken ship had to brave the choppy and deadly space.  
  
The only thing that made the trip bearable to Cid was his co-pilot. The male was still very young compared to Cid, and still very much seen as a child to Cid. The pilot had taken the male-Journey-in after his world had been destroyed nearly seven years ago. Back when the worlds had just begun to disappear. The younger male knew what it was like to lose everything. While Sora hung onto hope of love and a new home, Journey was sure of his own being lost forever.  
  
The Seventeen year old jammed his thumbs down on the weapon's controls and continued blasting things out of their path. He struck with deadly accuracy, insuring their safety from those obstacles. "Well, Old man, you should have already had it installed." The words were filled with humor and no ill content."  
  
"You're lucky my hands are busy, boy," Cid ground out. "Or I'd throttle you." Cid dodged a barrier that had suddenly sprung up and then risked turning to look at the brunette. "What brought you back to Transverse Town anyway? I thought you were out helping those drifters." Drifters were groups of people who refused the town's help and chose to fight loosing battles against large foes in the deep space.  
  
Journey shrugged, attention never diverted. "I finished up early. And I heard you were having some trouble with the heartless. I came as soon as I heard they had broken through Merlin's wards."  
  
Cid grunted. "I'm sure Robyn had something to say on the matter."  
  
Journey raised his eyebrows. "I wish you would give her the benefit of the doubt."  
  
"Excuse me for not trusting her."  
  
Journey turned in his seat to look behind him at Aerith and Yuffie. "Has he been like this for long?" He questioned. Then he turned back to Cid. "She's important to us. She's the only one getting us the information from a direct link. We need her."  
  
Cid rolled his eyes. "She's using you, me, and everyone who fights with us."  
  
Journey frowned deeply but settled back down into his chair, concentrating on the heartless fighters that had just appeared.  
  
"Journey," Aerith began, "You have to admit that Cid has a point. She's prone to sudden disappearance and she is a bit shady on certain topics. It isn't that we do this on purpose," She paused as there was a vicious bump and she had to latch onto a side panel. "We're just worried something could get out. We're trying to buy Sora all the time he needs to train and become ready for Ansem. Then it doesn't matter what we do, it will be up to him."  
  
"Yeah," Yuffie jumped in. "It's important that Maleficent doesn't know what we're doing. We work really hard to keep everything a secret, and she could spoil everything." Yuffie paused. "And we have walked into multiple ambushes because of her information. "  
  
Journey took his hands off his controls for just a second before regaining his composure. "You're judging her. The one thing I asked you not to do."  
  
"We have reason to judge. If she betrays us Sora could be killed." Cid spat out quickly.  
  
"She won't," Journey quickly corrected. "She wouldn't."  
  
They finally broke free of the chaotic space and Cid looked him deep in the eyes. Blue eyes met blue eyes. "She will eventually betray us. It's in her blood."  
  
"That's not fair." Journey struck back. There was unbearable silence until Cid spoke for the final time that trip.  
  
"She will betray us because she's Maleficent's daughter."  
  
~*~  
  
"This just got a lot harder," Leon remarked as he and Sora managed a glance around the corner. They had managed to unlock the front gates from the twisting, confusing waterway. Leon was almost sure that their presence had been detected in some way, and the heavy security in the main entrance seemed to prove it.  
  
"Are we going to fight our way in?" Sora raised his Keyblade, though this action was rather slow and Leon frowned.  
  
"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly, aware of a heartless standing just around the corner.  
  
Sora looked hopeless for a second before nodding slowly. "It's getting heavy." He paused, not finding his words descriptive enough. "The Keyblade has been getting harder and harder to control ever since we got here. It's like it's trying to pull away. I don't understand but I won't be able to hold it much longer."  
  
Leon nodded. He understood what was happening and it was time for Sora to as well. "It's getting heavier because the intended Keyblade master is here." Sora was frozen but Leon found it best to continue. "When the Keyblade was forged by the King it was born with a will of its own. It foresaw into the future a time where it would be needed to combat the darkness and drive out the evil. It searched for a person to wield it and found that in Riku."  
  
"Leon-" Sora was cut off.  
  
"Don't interrupt," Leon snapped. "This is important for you to know. If you are to go up against Riku he will try to use this against you." Sora quieted and gestured for Leon to continue. "As I said, the Keyblade placed faith that when the time came it could be entrusted to Riku. But it did not intend for the Darkness to reach him first. And it saw that if it was to go to Riku, it would be lost. So it chose a fast substitute with a strong heart. It chose you, Sora, because it knew you could handle to pressure and the power and still be victorious. It knew you could keep it safe."  
  
"Then why is it fighting me?"  
  
"Because it's hearing a call from Riku. It originally intended to belong to Riku, and it feels loyalty to him, no matter how evil he is. It will attempt to go to him, and if you allow it, Riku will take it from you. That cannot happen, ever. Riku is gaining power and if he accepts the Keyblade, he has the possibility to become more powerful than Maleficent."  
  
Sora cast his eyes down at the Keyblade and saw through the attached key chain and to the very core of the blade. He saw himself in the blade. He saw the conflicting feelings that seemed to pull at it and the undying feeling of betrayal. He understood completely, and though he did not want to lose it, he would understand if it was lost to him.  
  
"What can I do to stop it?" Sora asked.  
  
Leon managed another look around the corner. "Keep it as close as your heart. Consider it a part of you and do not let it leave your side. If it is lost our battle will be impossible."  
  
"Okay, are we going to storm the castle now?"  
  
Leon raised an eyebrow. "We are not going to storm the castle, which would ensure us death. We are however going to move swiftly to enter the castle, and we will enter under the detection of Maleficent."  
  
Sora raised the Keyblade, ignoring the extra weight. "At the count of three?"  
  
"No, we go now!"  
  
Both Leon and Sora spun out from the corner slashing at their enemies with incredible accuracy. Those heartless standing guard were taken down in flashes. There was no time for warnings and quickly the heartless were disposed of. The party of two slipped into the castle quickly and undetected.  
  
As Leon stood in the Entrance Hall he frowned, puzzled by the configuration of the room. He reviewed his options quickly before gesturing to a door on his left. He and Sora quickly ascended the left side stairs and reached the double doors. Both readied their weapons and Leon placed his hand on the door handle.  
  
It was warm to the touch and Leon hesitated. It was warm and surged of dark energy. It made him hesitate everything completely. He wanted to turn from the castle and order Sora back to the ship. He wanted to hide himself from everything until he found a way out of Hallow Bastion. But the tugging at his heart would not let him back away. So he was stuck. He could not push forward and he could not pull back.  
  
His decision was made for him as Sora's hand came to rest over his own. The young pre-teen smiled warmly and Leon, understanding his plight. "Nice to know you're mortal after all," He remarked before turning his hand along with Leon's and pushing the door open.  
  
The doors slid shut behind him Leon found his memory. He remembered the library.  
  
"What's a pretty library doing here?" Sora questioned. He lowered his Keyblade and ran a hand over the dusty books. "I've never seen so many books before. Even the library at home on the Island didn't have this many. How can something so pretty exist in something so evil?"  
  
"The castle isn't evil," Leon remarked, noticing the beauty as well. "The creatures that reside here are."  
  
Sora shook himself back into their original purpose and looked over to Leon. "It's nice and all, but I just want to find Cloud and get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."  
  
"Agreed." Leon dropped his own curiosity and with Sora set out to search the library.  
  
Just over an hour has passed when Leon and Sora met again in the corner of the lower level. Both had found nothing aside from frustration "We should move on," Leon suggested, breathing a bit heavier. "There's still the rest of the castle to search." Leon pressed a hand to his chest and addressed Sora. "Is it getting harder to breathe in here?"  
  
Sora agreed and leaned against a bookshelf for support. "Yeah is there anything left to check in here or can we leave?"  
  
As much as Leon wanted to leave, and the fire in his chest fueled this urge, he found he could not make his legs move. Something was drawing him to stay, even with the impending doom he hadn't a clue of. He needed to stay. "Let me give it a once over." He journeyed to the second level near the staircase and allowed his fingers and eyes to brush over the book titles. Something was different about the certain section of the room.  
  
With Sora's eyes on him he paused on an ordinary book. There was nothing special about it, and to any other person it would have meant nothing. But the feel of the book was different to Leon. It felt different than the rest of the things. It wasn't absorbing the negative energy around them. It simply felt different, and suddenly Leon placed the feeling. It felt like Cloud.  
  
With a cry of joy he ripped the book from its place and jumped back as the shelf slid open to reveal a narrow passageway and rising steps. Leon took them two at a time with Sora trailing behind him. He was not certain of many things, but he was certain that Cloud was up the stairs.  
  
The stairs emptied into a short hallway with two doors on opposite sides. Leon stood dead in the middle of them, afraid to move towards either one. Sora froze behind him; understanding the man had to make the decision on his own. "Leon," Sora gently pushed. "You need to make a decision."  
  
Distinctly Leon felt he did not want to go near the door to his right. It burned of heartless power and he couldn't phantom what lay beyond it. It hurt him to merely look towards to door, and he knew Cloud could not be there.  
  
From the other door he received no feelings, and this disturbed him more then the first. At least from the first he could arrive at the decision of not choosing it. From the second it was neutral. There neither good nor evil emitting. But when push came to shove, he wasn't going near the other door.  
  
With a burst of strength Leon had pushed his weight against the door. It gave way with a splintering crack revealing its contents. Leon looked up from his position and one name escaped his lips. "Cloud!" He was to his feet and rushing across the room. He reached the prone figure on the bed instantly, and his hands went to cradle Cloud's face. "Cloud!" Leon hissed quietly, aware that he had made a thundering noise, and if it was possible he should contain anything more. "Cloud, please wake up." He leaned in close, hearing the shallow breaths.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Sora asked, eyes moving between the two men.  
  
"I don't know." Leon could find nothing physically wrong with the one winged man, but something obviously was preventing him from waking. "Cloud, we need to leave here, please wake up." Leon pressed the back of his hand against Cloud's cheek finding it ice cold. And in fact the blonde's lips were turning a light blue.  
  
"We need to go," Sora turned back to the opposite door. He had sensed something. A nasty wave of nausea washed over him in dark waves. "We need to go now!"  
  
Leon had felt it too and was quickly gathering Cloud into his arms. "We'll figure this out later." He followed Sora out of the door, sheltering Cloud body into his own. They moved down the stairs like lightening.  
  
"How do you plan on getting out of here?" Sora asked, remembering Leon's caution that a dark force would block them from leaving. In his pocket Sora could feel the Gummi block Leon had given him bounce around. He had sworn to Leon he would use it if they became trapped. But now he found himself tempted to break that. They had expected to find a well and able Cloud. Now Leon was faced with having to fight off a castle full of heartless while trying to protect the comatose man.  
  
"Something is different here. The last time I came by I couldn't risk being tapped down here, but the power seems to have diminished just enough. If we get far enough away from the castle then we should be able to get back to the ship."  
  
Sora ripped open the doors to the library, as there was a roar of anger behind them and a blast of darkness. It felt to Sora as if he was being consumed by a heartless. "You know what was behind that door?" Sora asked. "I think it just woke up!"  
  
As Leon took the stairs down in the Entrance Hall, heartless began to flood in. They were coming from all directions and blocking all exits. Leon spun, Cloud still securely in his arms as the Entrance Hall doors were thrown open and a group led by Cid rushed in.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Leon demanded of the man. "Why did you bring them?"  
  
Leon was aware of the heartless enclosing them. "You can't get back to the ship down here. You're too close to Maleficent!"  
  
"We had to come!" Yuffie argued. "What's wrong with Cloud?"  
  
Leon ignored her, catching Sora by the arm while balancing Cloud. "Get out of here now!" Sora looked stricken and Leon became furious. "Now! I mean it!" Sora retrieved the Gummi block and the group pressed together. "Go now, Sora!"  
  
"Sora!" The brunette froze as he recognized the voice.  
  
"Riku!" His eyes became bright when he spied the older boy standing head of the heartless. Then the weight of the Keyblade intensified more then he had ever felt before. It was extremely painful and he fought back the urge to cry out. The hilt seemed to burn his skin and he was sure it would given the right amount of time.  
  
"None of you are going anywhere!" Riku told them.  
  
Journey raised his own sword to Riku's height and pressed closer to his adopted father. "Bright ideas would be appreciated, pops. "  
  
"All out," Cid mentioned softly.  
  
"Things just got a whole lot worse," Aerith managed.  
  
Maleficent had appeared.  
  
TBC. . . . ..  
  
**Insert diabolical cliff hanger**  
  
Now just to clear some things up. As for the new character Journey and the mentioned Robyn, no, they are not going to take over the story and have it revolve around them. They are small parts, but they are important to my plot. You won't get sick and tired of them taking up the spot light either.  
  
Also, this is going somewhere. I get really pissed at other author's stories when they don't go anywhere for chapters and I swear this one will. Just one more chapter of people talking their asses off and then there will be so much action you'll need a laxative. So stick it through and leave me a Review. I do work faster with those . . . just for the record.  
  
And yes, I am aware that Leon and Cloud come from separate Final Fantasy games. But give me a break; this is my plot bunny and my baby. I'll mix Pokemon in if I want to! 


	7. Chapter 7: Good days and Bad days

Kingdom Hearts

Chapter Seven: Good days and bad days

Authors notes: See, I'm not dead! It just so happens I've managed to squeeze this story into my schedule. I'm heavily in College right now, (and as you can tell I'm no English Major) so I have very little time to write. However, I do have a two hour break between classes on Friday that I have now set aside for his story. I'll usually, probably write a new chapter up every Friday and have it posted by Saturday.

Ah yes, more importantly it occurred to me that I never specified when this takes place. The history follows the game pretty strictly as Sora explores Tarzan's world, The Coliseum and Alice's world. After that is when my plot begins and the game is pretty much rewritten. Hoped that helped a bit of the confusion I was sensing. If anyone is confused on anything else, because I'm a complicated person to understand, just leave it in the review and I'll address it as soon as possible.

Chapter Seven:

There was a deathly still pause that fell over the group was Malificent entered the room. Sora felt the darkness seep closer to his heart almost instantly, and became short of breath. Moments ago in the library he had found it difficult to breathe correctly and now he felt more than panic. It was like he was trapped under the water, struggling for a breath that would never come.

There were many things Sora had rehearsed to say when this time came. There were demands to make and his own promises to fulfill, yet now he found all those thoughts fleeing from his brain. None of it seemed right anymore. Nothing seemed right at all to say in her menacing presence. He thought quickly that if she intended intimidation, she had clearly succeeded.

In this time when all seemed afraid to say anything, Leon and Cid had sense enough to speak silently to each other. If any of them hoped to exit the fortress alive, they would have to be quick, stealthy and above all else, willing to accept the idea their whole party was not insured safety.

Leon recounted the floor-plan of the castle. While it had been many, many years since his last visit, certain things never left conscious memory. The lift systems, while intricate and often confusing, could be mastered. The upper levels of the castle provided a fair amount of concealed passageways and rooms that Leon was sure Malificent did not know of—at least not in entirety.

Malficient's voice brought both Leon and Sora out of their thoughts.

"My, my," She began, tone sending shivers down Sora's spine. "Intruders in my home." Leon bit back a response that indeed it was not her home, merely where she had taken up current residence. "How amiably rude of you."

Her eyes swept the group, pleasure growing a tenfold when she realized Cloud was present, along with Sora. Two birds with one stone, she assessed. Perhaps it was her lucky day; if she believed in such.

"I'm not going to tell you again," Leon hissed to Sora, more forcefully than the young boy had ever heard the man before. "Use that damned block and get the hell out of here. You aren't prepared enough to face her yet, and the Keyblade is taking too much out of you at the current time. When you face her it will need to be on your terms, with your strengths available."

"Sora won't be leaving any time soon," Riku bit to the brunette. His eyes hungrily devoured Sora, taking in the last of his boyish features. "He's mine."

Towards the edge back of the group Journey shifted closer to Cid. "Plan, plan now, please. I really want to live. You know that psycho witch won't hesitate to kill us."

"None of you are going anywhere." The heartless closed in further at Malificent's statement, and pressed Sora closer to his friends.

From that point Malificient realized her day wouldn't be nearly as great as she first assumed. There was a flash of light—of power that caused her to step back in pain. The heat nearly drove her from the Entrance Way completely. She recognized the power right away, and knew who was behind it. And from there her hatred for Merlin grew. He had never been a rival of power before, and now she demanded to know how he had breached her castle.

When the heat and power died down and she opened her eyes, she was officially met with nothingness. Literally nothingness. The bottom of the steps disappeared into nothingness, the drop taking a person down to the waterway levels. The path through the large double doors that led to the rising falls had been blown to pieces, with large chunks of cinder or other foundation falling frequently. The whole front part of her castle had been destroyed.

Aside from that more things were missing—people actually. The group of Sora and friends had vanished completely. Whether blown apart by the power or not, they were no longer there. Nor were the heartless. Even the ones that had been left standing at her sides were now puddles of ooze, melted perhaps. But most of all Riku, the boy at her right hand side was missing. Surely he had been able to withstand the blast of power the wizard had sent at them. Surely he was strong enough, and skilled enough to survive.

Her day was officially horrible. She merely prayed Cloud had not been destroyed. She realized fully that finding another who fit Ansem's specifics in the short time left was impossible. Ansem needed that distinct body and soul, and none other would do. Cloud would have to be found and soon.

Leon blinked in confusion, then suddenly lost his balance and toppled down on the ground, Cloud still tucked safely in his arms. All around him he heard similar cries of protest as legs failed and people crashed to the carpeted floor around him.

"Dear me," Came a sweet and gentle voice. "Are you alright?" Leon allowed Cloud to rest on the floor for the moment, while he climbed to his feet. "We were so worried." He recognized her as the Faire GodMother, and then seconds later realized the withered old man she was cradling in her arms.

"Merlin!" Aerith beat him to the duo. She gazed with a concerned look at the exhausted wizard. Immediately she began an attempt to heal him, finding it did little. "What happened?" She asked, Yuffie now at her side.

"We were afraid we wouldn't get you in time," The elderly woman answered for him, sensing his need for rest.

"How did we get here?"

Merlin managed a small smile. "Transportation."

Leon's expression shifted. Merlin was powerful, but not nearly that powerful. "How?" He questioned.

The Godmother took over from that point. She helped Merlin stand and seated him on his bed. At this Leon realized they were in Merlin's small house, tucked back away in the Third District.

"As soon as we realized where you had gone, Merlin and I knew you were in trouble. Poor Merlin used every bit of his magic and the magic the town had to transport you all here."

That was it. Merlin had used the Town's magic.

Leon knelt back down to Cloud's stiff figure and placed two fingers at the side of his neck. The pulse was weak, but it was there, and from this Leon breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there anywhere we can move him?" He asked, "I doubt the floor is a proper place."

The old wizard gave a weak frown.

"How about this?" The Godmother gave a flick of her wand, though Leon noted with a trembling hand, and the large clutter of books in the corner were gone, now replaced with a soft bed. "Is that fine, dear?" Leon nodded, and scooped Cloud up. He gestured for Aerith and Yuffie to make the man more comfortable.

"We were so worried his magic wouldn't reach through the castle. It was so terribly hard on him," She noted now that Merlin was sleeping silently. "He didn't know the proper amount of magic to use, and he suspected he might have destroyed something in the wake of the power. Or worse, Merlin doubted he could bring you all here with his power and Malificent's mixing. I lent what magic I could, but one of us needed to retain something with the protection spells of the town down and—"

She paused, noting Leon's attention was fully diverted from her. He seemed to be searching frantically for something, his body tense and panicked.

"Sora!" He exclaimed, "Sora is missing."

"Oh, dear," The elderly woman placed a concerned hand to a pale cheek. "We didn't know if the Keyblade would allow it. We had to take our chances with bringing who we could. My venture is that the power of the Keyblade intercepted Merlin's power."

Journey placed a hand on his surrogate father's shoulder. "There was an explosion. I distinctly remember an explosion behind us. If Sora was left behind, and there was an explosion," He didn't dare finish the sentence.

"Leon!" He had to leave his Sora troubles quickly behind as Aerith called his name frantically from Cloud's side.

He didn't have to ask what was wrong. Cloud had become pale as a sheet, and his lips were a complete blue. "What's happening to him?" He pressed the back of his hand to Cloud's forehead, and then move to a portion of exposed arm. "He's freezing cold." He retrieved extra blankets from the edge of the bed and draped them over the cold male.

The Faire Godmother looked distraught in her own right. "I'm not sure. There shouldn't be a reason for him being this cold." A quick mummer and the fireplace roared, the room temperature spiking upward. "Even with prolonged exposure to the heartless he should be recovering, or waking up. Something should be improving. There has to be another reason, yes, I'm sure there is something else that is causing this."

"What can you tell me?" She gazed at him as saw love. The deepest form of love possible. This man would give his life for the other, and she felt herself the strongest desire to help in any way she could. "It will require time for me to figure out what has happened. I have my suspicions, but at this moment it is best not to cause any panic."

Leon accepted this slowly, and meticulously tucked the blankets around Cloud further. "Aerith, will you stay and watch over him for me?" He knew she and Cloud were having some sort tryst, if it could even be called that. It was a roadblock in their friendship on Aerith's part because the relationship would not move past camaraderie. Still, he knew he could count on the woman to take the best of care of his love.

"What're we going to do?" Journey asked, feeling slightly out of place with the current group.

"I have to go after Sora. I don't know if he's alive or not, but I can't stop until I find out. I can only hope the Keyblade protected him from the blast. We need him desperately."

"And how do you plan on finding him?" Cid asked. "Most of the remaining people here have fled with their Gummi ships in favor of finding a place with better protection. The Gummy ships left have something wrong with them, and while I'm good, I'm no miracle worker. I could call a buddy of mine with a ship, but that'd take time."

Leon thought this over. "You," he said, pointing to Journey. "You brought a ship here, and it wasn't the one you went to Hallow Bastion with. Would it still be here?"

The teen nodded. "Yes, I don't see why it wouldn't. But I'm used to flying in deep space and dealing with pirates. My ship is configured to work only with myself in the cockpit. If anyone else attempted to take it, or override the system the ship would pump Carbon-Dioxide in automatically. Nasty death I might add, I've seen it happen."

"That's fine," Leon waved off. "Get out of here. I need you to go fly by Hallow Bastion. Do not go any closer than you have to, but we need to know if the Gummi ships are still near the Rising Falls and if we can do some kind of double back and switch ships around. See if there is any damage to the castle, and then head on out to the drifters. Go on out to Omega Colony, that's where most of the refugees from the town will be. They'll need some form of leadership, and you can be there for them."

"Okay," The teen made his farewell quickly, and left at once.

"Cid," Leon addressed. "Get started on repairing whatever ships you can. Just get me one that flies, the more the better, but I need something."

The man seemed to ponder those words, before crossing his arms. "You know, I've been working on a new ship. It'd be better to finish that baby up than try and fix a busted one. It'd be fast, stealthy and have a few," He paused with a devious smith that Leon was almost thankful for. "Additions I think we would all appreciate."

"Good, and the faster the better."

Awaiting her instructions, Yuffie placed a soft hand on Leon's shoulder. He recognized her desire right away. "We're going to clean the town out."

"Cid shut most of everything down earlier."

Leon shook his head. "Not good enough. There are no wards, and no protection. Anything could just stroll in, and that isn't a thought I enjoy greatly. We need to seal absolutely everything up. If anyone stayed here we'll move them to the first district. I want us to cover the second and third fully. We kill everything that lacks a heart and make sure no one gets back in. Hopefully by the time we get done Cid will have a way out of this town."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, just now realizing he had somehow lost his Gunblade. "Yuffie, I need to have a few last words with The Faire Godmother. Please wait for me outside the house, but don't go venturing out into the district. There are bound to be some heartless roaming around just looking for someone to jump."

She gave him one small nod before leaving. Leon only had to spare one glimpse to Aerith before she quickly followed her friend, insuring Leon private company with whom he desired.

"Is he going to be alright?" Leon asked, nudging his head towards Merlin's body. "I get the distinct feeling all is not well."

The woman's face creased. "Merlin knew what he was doing. Merlin knew it would take everything he had to rescue the lot of you. He did it willingly and now he is allowed true rest."

Leon pressed his lips together harshly. "While we are forever indebted to him, this town is truly vulnerable now. Without a wizard to protect us it won't be long before pirates, looters and heartless overrun the place. He's saved us from one death only to insure another."

"Heavens no," The woman almost chuckled, gesturing to Cloud's bed so Leon could have the seat. "His magic might be spent, and he has passed on, but he is not gone. Magic never dies, and I'd expect you to know that by now." Leon looked quickly over to Merlin's still chest, void of life. "He's here, you just cannot see him. He'll be back as soon as possible. You will not recognize him from sight, for he will be in a new body, but you'll feel him. He'll manage a way back when we need him most."

"One question down," Leon managed in barely a whisper. "Now tell me about Cloud." Leon could tell the man was fading fast.

"His hair," Leon noted, running fingers lightly through Cloud's hair. "It's changing, becoming more of a white or silver. His skin is pale, and he's deathly cold. His lips are blue, and he's barely breathing. I'm certain his heart will give out soon." He removed his fingers and settled for resting a hand softly on Cloud's chest. "You've got a theory," He almost glared at her. "I can see it in your eyes."

She gave an uncharacteristic shrug. "It's just that: A theory."

"He's in serious danger, though, right? Something severe happened, and it's affecting his mind, body and soul." He watched her flinch slightly and narrowed his eyes at the slight hint she had provided. "Tell me," He demanded, and his tone told her quite clearly he was tired of games.

"Something is missing." She tapped her wand across the palm of her right hand lightly.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "What is missing?"

"His soul is missing."

Leon was speechless for a moment. He found himself running his hands down the sides of Cloud's face, and coming to rest over his heart. "How is that possible?" He could feel it thump beneath his fingertips. Though why he could feel this was mysterious. "He can't still be alive without his soul."

"Not for long," She told him. "The soul is part of what keeps the body alive, as you know. It's the inspiration, the drive and essentially what motivates us to live—but not what lets us live. Somehow Cloud's soul has been removed from his body, and he's fading without it. He will die eventually unless it is returned."

"I thought you said the loss of a soul wouldn't kill a person."

"Not normally," She corrected. "His symptoms are showing his soul has been forcefully removed from his body through some type of spell. While I don't imagine it intended to kill him, it is doing that. Normally a soul fades from existence when a person loses the will to live, or when death occurs. In this case Cloud is in a form a shock from losing it so abruptly."

A hand came to Leon's mouth and he bit back any words that surfaced. He leaned harder onto the bed and slightly over Cloud. Silently he ran his fingers softly over Cloud's lips, shivering himself over the low temperature and short breaths he felt. His eyes slid shut and he allowed himself to slide forward even more, and he pressed his forehead to Cloud's. "You won't die." He didn't know if he had said this out loud or not. He just knew he couldn't lose Cloud.

"You must find it," She told Leon, a wrinkled, yet soft hand slid smoothly over his hair. "He hasn't got long." She continued her soothing motions, feeling the brunette relax under her actions. "He has only stayed this long because of you."

Leon chuckled, drawing himself off of Cloud after dropping a chaste kiss to the blonde's head. "If he's waiting for me, I won't let him down." Again he was tucking the blankets further around the freezing man. "How am I supposed to find his soul, and before it's too late?"

"You have to find Sora first." It seemed simple enough to her, Leon observed sourly. "He'll be able to sense Cloud's soul, wherever it is. And with the Keyblade he'll be able to bring it back, though I believe Cloud's soul will recognize you and attempt to follow you itself. That is if it isn't being kept somewhere inaccessible or escapable."

The brunette nodded sadly. "Like Hallow Bastion."

"Right now Cloud can hang on, but the sooner you can find Sora, and Cloud's soul, the better."

Leon stood tall and rigid. "I understand to save Cloud I'll have to find Sora, but I don't have the first clue of where to look for Sora. I seriously doubt he was killed at Hallow Bastion. The Keyblade always looks after the Master, and it probably transported him somewhere directly before the explosion, but where is the question. Neither Cloud or I have the time to fly around in a half broken Gummi ship looking for a boy that could be on a dozen or more worlds—half of them I've never been to personally."

"Opportunities will present themselves shortly." She seemed so confident, or almost as if she knew something he did not.

Both Leon and The Godmother jumped several inches in the air as Yuffie and Aerith burst into the small house.

"The King's Aids!" Aerith was calling.

Yuffie followed with: "Donald and Goofy have returned, and they've brought their Gummi Ship!"

A small smile played upon Leon's features. "A change of plans," He told Yuffie, walking her to Merlin's entrance to the secret underground cave. "Down there you'll remember a picture painted on the far, back wall?" She nodded. "Good." He pressed a Gummi Block into her cool palm. "There is a room behind there, and someone is sleeping in the hidden room. He won't appreciate being woken, but he owes me a big favor and I'm cashing in. Get him to help you clean out the Town and do a full and complete lock down. After that wait for me to contact you, and make sure Cid has that new ship ready."

"Sora!"

"Sora!"

Leon could hear the Aids and sent Yuffie off immediately with a promise everything would be fine. "Aerith," He addressed the woman who had once again seated herself next to Cloud. "He's going to get worse, so just take care of him for me."

"Where's Sora?" Donald asked, head poking in the house.

The edges of Leon's mouth quirked up. "We're going to get him."

"You know where he is?" Aerith asked quickly.

"No." Came the immediate answer. "But I have a good hunch as to who will know."

He spared just one last look to Cloud's unresponsive body, and then rushed from the house. "We have to leave now," He told Donald, catching him by the upper arm and pulling him away from the house. "To the port, and I mean now!"

Donald quacked loudly as Leon carried him away, with Goofy trailing after them. "Where is Sora!" Aerith heard Donald demand once more before the group was too far away to hear any more.

"We've fallen apart," Aerith remarked softly, closing her eyes.

"Yes," The Faire Godmother agreed, "But that man has just enough determination to put us all back together. Then the rest will be up to Sora."


	8. Chapter 8: Black and White

Kingdom Hearts

Chapter Eight: Black and White

It was the oddest sensation Sora had ever felt. At best he decided it could be associated with extreme nausea.

He recognized vaguely that he was lying on something cold and hard, but everything else seemed hazy. He couldn't recall anything past his name, and certainly didn't understand why he was on his back, with his eyes clenched.

He flinched slightly as cool hands framed his face. They were smooth and delicate, and somewhat comforting. Even more they forced him to focus, and relieve the past few minutes.

He remembered very distinctly they had been at Hallow Bastion. He and Leon had been on a rescue attempt. They had braved the heartless, tracked down the angel and were prepared to fight their way out when--when suddenly there was a blank. More precisely there had been a blinding light, a wave heat, and then the horrible feeling of nausea. Of course now he remembered the violent tug that sent him sprawling downward where he promptly smashed into the hard surface he was now currently flung upon.

"Hmm," He hummed lightly, feeling the hands shift into his hair. Firm fingernails stroked his hair and massaged his scalp. He mumbled again and finally attempted to open his eyes.

"Riku?" He tensed recognizing the cerulean haired boy right away. Sora knew who held his heart and part of his soul crumbled when he peered into Riku's clouded eyes. "What's going on?" His voice was little more than a whisper.

"No, no," Riku urged when the younger attempted to sit up. "I'm sure you're still dizzy. Take a second and let your body recover."

He did just that. He recalled when he was little his mother would have him take deep breaths. Struck with this memory he allowed himself to relax in Riku's presence, albeit his common sense telling him otherwise. A few minutes later the off-balance feeling had passed and he was able to attempting sitting up again.

"I'm calm now, are you happen? Now tell me what happened."

Riku, who was crouched down next to him began, "Best I can figure, the Keyblade saved our lives." Riku knew little more than Sora, but he shared what he did know. "We're both Keyblade masters, Sora, and in that fate we have a certain amount of protection. By default or destiny the Keyblade is aware of us, and able to protect us to some degree. Whatever hit back there was destructive, and without the Keyblade we might have been killed."

Sora's eyebrows furrowed. "So what did it do? How did we get here?" Sora let his eyes wanted and noticed for the first time the very large and open space he and Riku were in. He recognized the architecture as belonging to an old French Cathedral. He had seen pictures in the old books in the library on Destiny Island, but had never actually realized the size of said Cathedral. It was truly amazing and Sora wished he had more time to take in the unique beauty.

"Apparently the Keyblade is an ingenious enigma. It might have always had, or recently acquired the ability to transport us, because we most certainly are not in Hallow Bastion anymore."

"It saved our lives," Sora marveled.

Riku nodded in agreement and offered a hand down to Sora. "Up you go." He hoisted Sora up, relishing in the skin contact he had missed.

"The Keyblade!" Riku saw the panic in Sora's eyes immediately and felt a twinge of regret. At this moment Sora was realizing the Keyblade was missing, and now ignoring his calls. Riku had rightfully reclaimed his property, and in doing such ripped a part of Sora away. "Give it back! You've taken it from me!" There was anger in the brunette that peeked an interest in Riku.

"I am the Keyblade's rightful master. You were a fine replacement for the time, but that has now passed."

Sora gripped his torso and fought off a dark chill. It felt worse than the heartless, and darker than Maleficent. When the Keyblade had accepted him as a master it had become a part of him. It had bonded to his heart and soul, and was as important to him as anything else. The Keyblade was a friend, and protector and so much more. He and the Keyblade worked together, with a flow and harmony, that now was missing. Part of him was missing.

"You don't understand, Riku! You can't have the Keyblade in your current state. You aren't thinking properly and you're corrupting the Keyblade." Or was it the other way around? Did the master influence the blade? Or did the blade suit the master's current purpose? Nevertheless, Riku did not need any added power as he currently was. "I need the Keyblade, Riku, and you need to see that."

Of course Riku was beyond reason. "Sora, you don't need the blade anymore. I'm going to take the Keyblade, and kill Maleficent. In doing such I need you by my side, Sora. I need your support."

Conflicting emotions were devastating, and Sora realized this.

"I can't willingly let you have the Keyblade, Riku. I can't stand by your side and pretend that I agree with what you're doing. You have to recognize right now that using the heartless will never have a good result. They're dark Riku, and so are you. You can't honestly expect me to believe that you're going to fight Maleficent."

"There will be no fight," Riku assured Sora. "She will not have a chance now that I've taken back the Keyblade."

"Noy so high and mighty without it?" The acid in Sora's normally sweet voice caused an odd reaction to occur in Riku. He bit down on his lip and placed his hands on Sora's shoulders.

"Want me to be honest?" He asked. "I can't beat Maleficent without the Keyblade. She's been in the darkness and with the heartless for too long. She would be too hard to overtake on my own, and I can't depend on anyone else. But with the Keyblade and I can destroy her."

Sora shrugged back, giving Riku a perplexing look. "Just who's side are you on?"

Riku folded his hands behind his him and turned his back to Sora. With this sign of trust he continued on, eyes shifting wildly over the beautiful artwork adorning the cathedral. "Must we draw sides, Sora? When sides are taken the lines between right and wrong blur. People become obsessed with staying true to those on 'their side' and often lose track of their objectives. What side am I on? I'm on my own side. I'm on the side that is going to win."

"What makes you so sure you'll win? How can you be so confident that you can beat Maleficent and me?" Sora offered him a quirky look. "And you know if you pursue this you and I will face off sooner rather than later."

"I'll be ready for you, Sora."

Sora waved his hand. "Your confidence?"

"Ah," He flashed his white smile. "because unlike Maleficent, I have found a way to use the heartless. I know how to command them without allowing them into my heart. It might have been through trial and error, but there is a perfect balance in which the heartless can enter my body and I can feed from their power, while still retaining control. My heart is still mine, and still pure. Maleficent is very close to being taken over. She ought to watch herself." Riku chuckled and Sora felt as if he were missing something.

"You can't still have your heart," He said in disbelief. "If the heartless are in you--"

"I told you," Riku interrupted. "I found a way--I found the perfect balance."

Sora waited anxiously. "Which is..." He prompted, and suddenly found himself in an embrace. Riku was hugging him and it felt wonderful.

"My heart is intact because I love you. My love balances the heartless and fights them off."

There was such conviction in those words that Sora believed him. He could feel it in his own heart and melted into Riku's embrace. His own arms came around Riku's back and he pressed his face into his love's neck. "I love you, too." He told Riku.

He loved Riku more than sunrises and sunsets. He loved Riku more than sleeping in on Saturday mornings and eating cotton candy at the fair. More than his favorite TV show, his favorite movie and his favorite band combined. His love was never ending. Pure and innocent in every way love ought to be. And fierce and demanding like fire. His love for Riku was ... indescribable past words. It was a feeling Sora felt was best described without words.

"I love you so much." Riku captured Sora's lips in a passionate and needful kiss. Then something snapped in Sora. "But I don't love you that much!" And with a rough shove Sora sent Riku sprawling down and away from him. "Before all this mess I could have easily said I love you more than anything else in all the worlds. But your actions and my actions have obviously proven otherwise. You've got your objectives and I've got my duties. As much as I love you, and please believe I love you, I have to worry about other people. There are millions of lives depending on me, and thousands of worlds. I have to put their lives above our love. I have an obligation to see this through to the end, and love is merely a distraction."

"Is that so?" Riku pushed himself up to his elbows.

"It is so, Riku. This is the reality of life. You love me and I love you, but we until we're on the same side that love can't be allowed."

Riku's frustration grew, this was evident to Sora. "Then be on my side!" He was off the ground and in front of Sora in a second. "If you fight Maleficent you'll fail. But if I fight her I can give us a chance at life. I'm doing this for us, you must see that. If we can't save ourselves, then what? I can beat Maleficent, but you must support me."

"Just because you can manipulate the heartless doesn't mean you can beat Maleficent."

Riku's eyebrows rose and Sora knew that devious look all too well. "Of course not, Sora. That's merely the finishing blow. But I'll shows you what will guarantee my victory."

Sapphire eyes widened as Riku cupped his hands and a white orb appeared. It glowed faintly and pulsed with life. "What is that?" Sora breathed.

"Maleficent is using the Princess's hearts to open a portal of sorts. Their hearts are insanely powerful, more than you can imagine, and she can harness this power to open a door." Sora was frightened to know what was behind it. "There is a man--if he can be called a man, that resides behind this door. This man, called Ansem, has the potential to destroy all the worlds. If Maleficent brings him into our reality none of us will stand a chance. That's why I want to kill her before she can summon him."

Sora's hand came out slowly towards the orb. He peered oddly at it, and his fingers stroked the surprisingly malleable surface of the orb.

"This," Riku gestured to the orb. "This stops Ansem from being allowed into our world."

"He needs it?" Sora guessed, earning a large grin from Riku.

"Exactly. It has been many, many years since he was last in our world. His body won't form here, and because of that he needs a new one. A suitable candidate was chosen, one in a million I've heard Maleficent remark, but there was a small problem." Riku broke suddenly. "Do you understand me so far?"

The orb moved into Sora's hands and he replied, "Maleficent is using the princess's hearts to open the door to Ansem. Ansem doesn't have a body though, but Maleficent found one. But there's a problem."

"Right." Riku gave the teen credit. "In order to inhabit a body Ansem needs to devour the soul and over take the heart. Finding a candidate was immensely difficult because the heart needed to be exposed to the heartless, and remain intact. It had to fend off the creatures of its own will. The soul as well had specific requirements. This certain soul had to be pure--as in divinely pure." Riku's look left no room for questions. "Difficult qualifications if you ask me. But nonetheless someone was found."

"Is this that person's soul?"

Riku felt he honestly did not give enough respect to the intellectual side of Sora. Or maybe the teen just needed to use common sense more often. "Indeed it is. I visited a few fairies and had his soul removed in return for their freedom. They were so concerned with returning to their princess they failed to recognize the repercussions of their actions." A costly mistake, Riku knew. "Ansem may have his heart and body, but it is all worthless without his soul."

"You can't hide a soul forever." Sora cradled it to his body. There was something about the soul that he felt a connection to. He felt something he could not describe other than a rather protective feeling. He wanted to keep this orb safe from Maleficent and from Riku.

"I don't have to hide it forever. There is a time limit--an expatriation date if you will," Riku explained. "This is the only opportunity Ansem will have for a very long time, and all know this. He must make his move very soon or the opportunity will be lost to him. I merely have to wait for this time period to expire, or wait until the soul dies."

This side of Riku made Sora stand strong in his own beliefs. Words like those confirmed to Sora he did indeed fight on the right side, even if that meant going against Riku. "You cannot tell me you will let that soul die. You'll let that person die?"

"Sora!" Riku was gripping his shoulders again. "Don't you understand?" He shook Sora through his words. "This is bigger than one life! Ansem cannot be allowed a new body or it's all over. We all be killed if he gain's Cloud's soul!"

Sora's blood ran cold. His eyes almost betrayed him to Riku, yet he managed his composure and amended, "You shall take the Keyblade and in return I wish to be the keeper of this soul." He understood Riku could never know the importance of Cloud to his heart.

Riku sought to challenge Sora's words. "I don't think that is wise, Sora."

"You are to keep me safe, are you not?" Sora hugged Cloud's soul tightly. "And in such I will keep it safe."

"Clever as ever," Riku admitted. "You've always schemed to get your way, Sora, but this time I can't allow it. Surely you would seek to evade me at the first opportunity, and you'd take this soul right back to Cloud's body."

"I would," Sora willfully admitted.

"You would risk all my hard work, and risk bring Ansem down upon us."

"I would," Again, Sora did not deny his actions.

Riku's shoulders slumped. "Then you have to understand why I can't allow you to leave."

"And you understand why I'm willing to fight you to get away."

"Don't make me do this," Riku almost pleaded, calling forth the Keyblade.

Sora stood calmly. "I have no weapon, Riku, but if you feel you must strike against me, please do so. I cannot in good conscious give his soul to you, and I believe you cannot purposely hurt me."

Riku smirked and damned Sora for knowing him so well. "You are very right." The Keyblade disappeared from view and Riku wrapped Sora up in his arms. The orb pulsed in-between them, giving off a warm and soothing sensation. "I could not strike you," He tucked Sora's head underneath his chin. "But I will keep you by my side, and through force if necessary. I won't let you go back to anyone else who might twist your mind and use you against me."

"So I'm to be your slave?" Sora frowned, pressed against Riku's strong chest. "Will you let to Heartless invade my body as they do yours?"

"Never," Riku hissed. "You will never be allowed near the heartless. You have to remain pure, even from the Keyblade. I will never let the Heartless into your body or near your heart." Sora sniffed silently and Riku glared at their surroundings. "We can't stay here. There are too many heartless." He released Sora from his hold and took the boy's free hand. "Hold onto that soul for now," He allowed and pulled Sora towards the entrance of the Cathedral.

Instantly Sora recognized the queasy feeling that passed over him and forced him to collapse. Riku made it a few more steps in front of him before going down as well, engulfed in similar pain. The both were aware of the suffocating feeling the overwhelming heartless evoked in a person, and blindly Riku reached for Sora.

He met with air.

His eyes opened and he frowned deeply, lines creasing in his forehead. Sora was gone from his side, along with the Keyblade and Cloud's soul.

Riku cursed loudly.


	9. Chapter 9: A Great Sacrifice

Kingdom Hearts

Chapter Nine: A Great Sacrifice

Authors Notes: I spent all day yesterday working on this, even when I was sick. I refuse to lose interest in the plot line and a review or two would really fuel me to work faster. We're halfway through at this point, so break out the party favors that we've made it this far.

Warning: Yes, well I might be in college, but my grammar will never improve. I've acquired a Beta, but she wouldn't be able to look this over until Monday, and I honestly just wanted to get this up. Therefore, you may catch a few grammar issues and perhaps a misused word. Excuse this, considering I'm a History Major, not an English Major.

Chapter Nine: A Great Sacrifice

Leon was frustrated and he was trying so very hard not to let it shine through. He could sense he was not the only one feeling tense and aggravated, but he was sure he was broadcasting the loudest.

Donald and Goofy had taken to bickering with each other while Pocahontas was giving him nervous looks and weaving her fingers though dark strands of hair. She was positively radiating distrust at him. He attributed this to her less than shinny past with men outside her own people. Of course he though having the humming bird attack him was rather juvenile.

"I come to you because you are the wisest of all." _And the last chance I have. _"Anything you can tell me about Sora or Cloud would be beneficial."

Grandmother Willow chuckled deeply, her roots moving near Leon's feet. "Child, you mistake my age for wisdom. I cannot tell you what you must do, nor can I see the future." Her features saddened. "You have come to me with hope in your heart, and it pains me. I fear the one you love will be lost."

Leon had known to hope would be dangerous. Still, he had found himself willing to believe Grandmother Willow would be able to help him someway. Yet she had offered him nothing. She could not tell him how to save Cloud, nor how to find Sora.

He lost the last of his strength and sunk down to his knees. "I don't know what to do," He admitted to himself. He was out of ideas, plans, hope and anything else that might have kept him going. Sora was lost to them, their future was looking bleak and Cloud was going to die.

"Two parts of a whole."

"What?" Leon looked at the dark skinned woman though brown bangs.

She was still peering at him with an uncertain expression, but a small nudge of roots from Grandmother Willow instilled some form of confidence. "Two moons ago I had a dream," She began softly. "It was unlike any others. I saw a sun, brighter than ever before. I reached out to touch it and, Grandmother Willow, the most amazing thing happened!"

"What, child, what?"

"It split! I touched it and the sun broke into two smaller suns. I felt wonderful. As if the harvest had finished and I was dancing around the fire and the Gods were shining down upon me. I was filled with love and compassion, and everything good."

"What does that mean?" Leon rubbed his shin roughly, feeling the need to shave rather soon. "How is that important to finding Sora or saving Cloud?"

Pocahontas gave him a disapproving look. "Grandmother, I was hoping you might tell me what that means. I have asked myself for all possibilities, but still I have no answers."

"I do not know," The old Willow tree frowned. "You have been dreaming for a very long time, have you not?" The young woman nodded to the tree. "Pocahontas has a rare gift. She knows more of the future than we could possibly imagine."

Leon rose from the grown and crossed his arms. He pressed his weight to the left of his body. "Dreaming of the future? Is that possible."

"We have spoken after nearly every dream." Grandmother Willow seemed suddenly distracted. "I believe Pocahontas foresaw the attack on your town, among other things. She does not always understand these dreams, but they are factual none the less."

"So what is the meaning of this last dream? What does a giant sun have to do with us?"

"Your young love, Cloud," Grandmother Willow inquired. "He has recently lost a soul?" Leon confirmed. "It is said by the people of this world, that a soul shines brighter than the sun."

Leon gave her an incredible look, with large round eyes. Surely she was suggesting--that! "You think she's seen Cloud's soul breaking or splitting in two?" His stomach dropped and his breathing froze. Had Pocahontas seen Cloud's death?

"Perhaps." Grandmother Willow was definitely apprehensive about something. Her roots were twitching nervously and her attention was divided. Leon felt a shiver run down his own spine and he wondered just what was happening.

"I understand," Leon said drearily. "I had some hope that you might be able to help me in any way, but I see now that was foolish. You know as little about Sora is as I do. The Keyblade master might be forever lost to us, and with him our future. It was wrong for me to depend on you."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "I believe I know how hard this is for you. You dislike feeling helpless, and this chain of events has rendered you that way. Deep in your heart you believe Sora can fight the heartless and win, but without knowing his whereabouts you've lost some of that faith. And without Sora's location you cannot hope to recover Cloud's soul. You, like the rest of us, are in a desperate situation. But there is nothing either Pocahontas or myself can do for you, young warrior. I can offer you nothing more."

He understood her message clearly. She was politely telling him to leave. "Donald, Goofey, it's time to go."

"Hurry," The old tree advised. "Hurry home, before it is too late."

He was disorientated again, floating, weightless and utterly calm. There was such serenity in his soul. He had never felt such before, and did not question his location. He was thinking clearly for once, without the burdens he had grown so accustomed to. He was free of all doubt, and it was a glorious feeling. He was so tired, and this seemed the perfect place to take just a short nap.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Sora was jostled from his serenity and blinked lazily at Cloud. The divine man was floating in the same black void, arms crossed, looking just as tired as Sora felt. "Cloud?" He asked softly, the name sounding foreign on his tongue.

"Don't let yourself slip away," The blonde warned him. "This place, it does things to you. If you become accustomed to the peace it brings you will surely parish. Stay alert, stay aware and do not close your eyes until you are stronger."

"Where are we? What are you doing here?"

Sora extended his arms and attempted to mimic a bird or a fish. "How do I?" He asked, realizing he was upside down. Strangely the blood was not rushing to his head, nor did he feel lightheaded in any way. Still, looking at Cloud upside down was unsettling. "A little help?" He jerked to the side. "I don't like being upside down."

"Is that what you think you are?" Cloud looked at him curiously. "Sora, where we are has no up, nor a down. Right is left, and left is right. There is no light, only darkness, where right becomes wrong, and wrong becomes right. It is a void in every sense. Calm yourself and you will realize this."

It was true. A few seconds of deep breathing forced rational thoughts into his mind. "Where are we?" He asked for the second time. "I remember going to rescue you from Hallow Bastion. Leon and I were prepared to fight for you."

A dark look flashed on Cloud face, however Sora did not notice.

"Then suddenly I was with Riku. We were in some church. He said the Keyblade had transported us, and Riku took the Keyblade from me." Sora's eyes became wide and he pressed a hand over his heart.

Cloud's eyes slipped shut. "I do not know where we are, but I have been here for a very long time. At first I allowed the darkness to put me into a sleep. I slept for an eternity."

"You couldn't have," Sora protested.

"Time passes differently here."

Crystal blue eyes met aqua blue. "Cloud, do you know what happened to you?"

The angel forced himself to take a deep, unnecessary breath. "I met someone from my past. He wanted to own me, but I could never belong to him." Cloud had grown accustomed to the icy cold that engulfed him, but recalling those memories turned the icy touch a red hot. "He felt threatened by Squall, I believe. When I resisted him, he attempted to force me into submission. I remember nothing after that."

Falling off track Sora floated sideways, legs crossed. "Why would he feel threatened by Squall?"

"I could not offer Sephiroth my companionship because I could not love him. My heart belongs to Squall, and Sephiroth knew this. Still, he was less than pleased when his persuasive words failed him. I assume I was taken from him?"

"Yes."

"But there is something else you are neglecting to tell me." Sora's eyes seemed frantic, and the boy on the verge of hyperventilating. "Calm yourself," He urged, the phrase was now beginning to annoy Cloud. "You cannot be short of breath, because we do not breathe here. It is a natural instinct your mind is urging your body to fulfill, and you must overcome that."

"Riku, he's truly done something unforgivable." Another unnecessary breath, and Sora was ready. "He's condemned you to death."

Cloud's reaction was not what Sora had expected. Instead of a sad, surprised look he was met with acceptance. "I figured as much."

"What!" Sora shrieked. His voice carried and echoed. "How?"

"I did not know Riku was the cause, but I had felt something. I can feel myself slipping away from reality, away from the warmth of life. It has been happening here for some time. I'm fading."

"You are!" Physically Cloud's pale skin had taken on an ashen color. He was beginning to blend in with the darkness, and Sora wondered if the angel would disappear right in front of him. "You have to know about what Riku has done, and Ansem!"

Cloud's gaze fell to his darkened hands. "I know about Ansem." He could feel the shock radiating off Sora. "I knew a lot when I woke up the first time. Something had told me of my purpose--my fate. I knew Ansem wanted me when I made my deal with Hades."

"Riku wants to kill Malificent, because he knows he can't fight Ansem and win. Ansem needs you; your body, heart and soul. Riku had your soul, and that's what's causing you to die."

"Had?"

Sora's eyes slipped shut. "I took it from him." He yawned. "But I lost it. I'm sorry."

"Sora!" An chilling hand pressed down on his shoulder. "I told you not to close your eyes. You're not strong enough here."

"I don't want to go back." He freely confessed. "I like it here. There isn't anything to fight for. No one to die for, and no one to watch die. No destiny, future or choices. No Keyblade or pain or sorrow. Nothing that reminds me of what I've lost, or what I will lose. There isn't any death here."

"But there isn't any life, either." Cloud supplied. "We don't actually exist here, Sora, and this place misleads us to believe otherwise. This is merely a waiting place. We wait for our end here. Yes, this void is without the pressure of life, but it is also without the joy. You cannot be as you were, and you cannot evolve. You have but one choice here, and there is no turning back once that choice is made. Sora, there is no love here. There is nothing."

"Love?" Sora asked angrily, eyes opening. "What of love? The love Riku wants to show me? The love in which he is willing to destroy all the worlds for? Or the love of power Malificent has? The love you and Leon will never have? There is nothing for us anywhere else! There is only despair, and we would be wise to forget everything else outside of this void. Here we can be free without a need to hurt or be hurt. Cloud, don't you see the flaws in your words? Don't you see?"

Cloud arched backwards, tumbling. "I see you have been corrupted here. I understand now you cannot hold onto your sanity or your wits. This is not the place for you, and you would do well to leave."

"I'm in no danger here."

A heavy chuckle cut through the tension. "Are you really so foolish, Sora? No one can survive here, it is a void!"

"Dying here would be better than going back."

"You have an obligation!"

"Not without the Keyblade." The former master rested his hands behind his head. "I'm not the master anymore, nor am I the true master. It isn't my obligation, duty or responsibility to save anyone, or fight anyone. I'll leave that to Riku."

"I never saw you as a runner, Sora."

Something was terribly wrong with Sora, and Cloud could very clearly see that the former Keyblade master had allowed himself to become corrupt. "I'm sure you never saw a lot of things."

Cloud ought to have seen it. Sora was far too young for the problems that had been pushed upon him. He was still a child, and the pressures had led him astray. This was Sora's way of pushing that responsibility away, and being selfish. However, Cloud also felt it was necessary for Sora to be selfish, for just once. He wondered that if perhaps Sora was allowed to think of only himself he'd come to realize a few things. But would it all be in time.

"You are of course free to remain here. I cannot force you to leave, or keep you here." He felt himself slipping. He could barely see Sora. "Just think, and do not close your eyes."

Then Cloud was gone, and Sora regretted everything.

Leon had not cried in a very long time, and he now felt he would never stop. He couldn't breathe, and he gasped for hair in-between choking on any words that might try to surface. On his knees in front of the bed Cloud was dying on he buried his face into the bunched blankets. _No, no, no, not Cloud. Not now!_

"I'm so sorry." It was a feminine voice but he didn't care to identify it. "We tried to keep him warm and alive."

Swallowing hard Leon lifted his head off the bed and glared hotly at Cloud. "I just found you, and I will not lose you! You can't leave me, not after all I did to get you back. You mean the world to me. What am I supposed to do without you?"

"Leon." A hand griped his arm. "You have to let him go."

"No!" He jerked away from Yuffie. "You don't know!" His voice broke. "He can't leave me! All because someone stole his soul away from him!"

Yuffie pulled him away. "And it is gone, so you have to let him go. He's passing from this world, and you owe it to him to allow the passage to be peaceful."

"I love him." Leon just couldn't let him go. It wasn't Cloud's turn to go. Someone had viciously ripped the man's soul away without any thought to his safety or well-being. Someone was attempting to unfairly and unjustly condemn Cloud to an early fate. Well, Leon didn't care what the fates said, or what destiny had in store. He wasn't letting Cloud go without a fight.

"I love him," He repeated with every ounce of that love. "I love him and I will fight for him. I will follow him to the edge of the universe and to the end of time. I'll go to heaven and to hell with him, but I am not letting him go without me. My love will bind us together and cut through destiny if necessary."

On his feet he wasn't exactly sure how to follow through with any of those things. Yuffie was looking at him with wide eyes, and Aerith looked slightly frightened of him.

Thankfully destiny understood and took pity on him. With a heavy fall he collapsed to the ground.

The initial and quite natural reaction of both men might have been insanely funny in any other situation. It took only a moment of realization before a heavy blush appeared on both parties and backs were quickly turned.

"I don't know what's going on," Leon began, hands in front of him. "But this isn't a very good joke, and I don't appreciate it."

Feet from him Cloud rolled his eyes, his own hands covering himself. "I'm pleased you believe this was my doing." Was his retort.

"I didn't say that."

Cloud felt the heavy blush leave his face, but the heat remained. "I believed I was dying. How either of us ended up here," He gestured to grassy hill they were standing on. "and lacking our apparel is beyond my knowledge."

Dropping his childish behavior he turned, pushing down embarrassment. "I thought you were dying--almost dead. I was standing over your body in Merlin's house."

"I was in a black void."

So what were they doing suddenly naked on a deserted hill in the middle of the country side?

Leon inquired, "Has magic brought us here?"

"What kind of magic?" He turned too, keeping his eyes upward. "Of the heart?" He managed to look lower and meet Leon's eyes. "I thought of you as I was fading." He allowed. "I thought of the love I had for you, and everything attempting to disallow that love. I thought of my past, and of what I can distinctly remember. And with the time I had, I also thought of my future, and the future I would have liked to have had with you. It would have been nice to go home, or go anywhere with you."

"Hey," Leon frowned, stepping closer to Cloud. "Why are you talking in past tense?"

"I've died, right?"

"Then I've died as well." Cloud bestowed upon him a shocked and very displeased look. "It would be the only explanation for us meeting here. Wherever here is."

Cloud folded his arms across his chest. "I must have died. I feel so different. Before, before in the void and before everything else I felt somewhat lost. Lost and locked away, and looking at everyone from the outside. I felt like I couldn't make it on my own, but I was afraid to involve anyone else. I was drowning, but now--"

"I needed help," Leon interrupted. "I was trying to take on all the responsibilities Sora couldn't handle, or get to. I was attempting to save people that couldn't be saved, and keep the town intact when we clearly did not have the means. I was turning hard, cold, and becoming lost myself. Then when I saw you, something in me came back to life. I started to remember our childhood, and everything we did, or did not do together. And I began to search for something, the same as you."

"Something wasn't right." Cloud offered, and Leon agreed. "It wasn't right when we were separated."

"I love you."

Cloud shivered. "I knew you would. I dreamt of you and of this moment for an insurmountable amount of time. I never knew what would lead up to this moment, but I knew we would arrive at it. I just never imagined it would be with our deaths."

"We aren't dead!" Suddenly Cloud was incased in Leon's arms. The shorter blonde was carefully tucked into Leon's side, skin pressing against skin. "I made a promise to myself. I promised myself I wouldn't let you die."

"I can't live without a soul."

"You aren't."

Pulling back Cloud gave him a look of worry. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I," Leon admitted. "But something between us has changed."

"I can feel you in me." Was Cloud's revelation. "In here." He said, tapping his chest. "And in here." His fingers moved to his head. "Before this moment I knew almost nothing from our past but I have all your memories now. I can recall your childhood through your eyes. And I can feel what you feel in my own heart. I can feel how much you depend on Sora, and how much you love where we grew up."

He brought a hand to the side of Leon's face. "I can feel how much you love me, and I love you."

There was only a slight delay before Leon had his hands on either side of Cloud's face and he was kissing the blonde. His arm slid around Cloud's naked back and he pressed the man closer than anyone had ever been. While his lips moved softly over Cloud's he realized something very important.

"I would give my soul for you."

Cloud looked at him with a frightened face. "I think you have."


	10. Chapter 10: I'll Give You My Heart

Broken Masks

Chapter Ten: I'll give you my heart.

Authors notes: It only gets more confusion from here.

Chapter Ten: I'll Give You My Heart

"I think this place is a metaphor of some sort." The questioning voice drew from a bright eyed, blond currently perched on another's lap. "I mean," He smiled lightly. "That's the best I can come up with."

The brunet whom he was sitting on tapped his nose. "And I suppose you've been thinking a long time, right. Cloud?"

Cloud nodded. "We have been here a while." He leaned forward to wrap his arms around Leon's neck and rested his chin on the taller man's shoulder. "Hours and hours."

His theory was rather simple, at least to him. Cloud felt he might only confuse Leon if he shared. He found he easily understood complicated matters without an explanation as to why. The knowledge just seemed to come to him, and any attempt to share this with others left nothing but confusion.

This hill, perched in a valley was much like the earlier void. It was never changing; sunny with a bright blue sky and the slightest cool breeze. The same yellow birds flew past them ever so often and the path trailing over hill had never been walked upon. The only explanation to this was a void. A much different void than the one he had been in before, but nonetheless a void.

Then again, maybe void wasn't the right word. Void implied nothingness. While there were no people and no change, there was life. He and Leon were existing. He wasn't dying, and he was certain he wasn't already dead. In fact, he felt alive for the first time in his collective memory. He could breathe easily, feel a warmth in his chest and … there was something else. There was a calm, serenity like feeling. He was balanced finally.

"We're being cleansed. Clothes aren't necessary."

Leon shifted, digging his toes into the cool grass. "So," He was unsure of how to approach the question. He tried again. "So, you think we're sharing a soul now?"

Seriousness fell over them. Cloud turned mature and heavy eyes on him. "That is my gut feeling. It's highly improbable and almost impossible, but it fits. It would be the only explanation for what I'm feeling." He posed the ending question. "How does on explain feeling his partner's love?" Leon shined. "I mean really feel the love? It's hard to describe, but I feel everything you do in your heart. I know all your secrets, all your desires and aspirations or hopes. I know who you love, despise and who really gets under your skin. I can feel what makes you mushy and what really touches your heart. I know _you_."

It was extremely disturbing for both parties. Leon felt almost as if Cloud was intruding.

"And it isn't just your heart, you know. I have all your memories." Cloud's face darkened considerably and Leon drew his arms over him quickly. He knew immediately which memories were surfacing frequently. He knew which were hurting Cloud deeply.

They were content to merely sit on the grassy hill and hold each other while memories shifted around. No words were necessary. No words would be appropriate.

"I wish I could feel your heart," Leon broke the tension with, and this earned him a soft and caring smile from Cloud.

"Silly." Cloud pressed a soft kiss onto equally soft lips. "You have my heart."

They were breathing exactly the same, Leon realized. Every breath, the duration of the hold and the exhale were all perfectly aligned. Cloud had to be right. They had to be sharing the same soul--the same essence.

"I know I do." His hand pressed down on Cloud's head, running through silky strands. "You have mine, too."

"No, no," Cloud shook himself free of Leon's tight grip. "You have my heart." His hand pressed over Leon's chest. It shook a bit until Leon's own hand rested over it. "My heart."

"What?"

Cloud lifted himself from Leon's lap and folded his arms over his chest. "There are things in my past, Squall, that I don't ever want to come up. Things that hurt me, and will surely hurt you. People, experiences and," His face puckered. "Sour deals have turned me jaded, if you will. My past is less than immaculate, and it's coming back around."

Leon folded his feet underneath him. "When do you plan on telling me about your past?"

"Now if you want," He said, shrugging.

Leon nodded, rising to join Cloud on the edge of the hill's slope. "Now."

"I don't know what happened to me when the world began to die," He began, "But it was something different. I became lost, but not like the others." He paused in frustration. It was hard for him to acquire the right words. Describing indescribable feelings was a heavy task. "I can't say much, but something happened, and I fell into the darkness."

He wanted a coat, or at least some of this clothing back. He was no longer uncomfortable in the presence of Leon, but he was beginning to feel a chill. The temperature had not changed, because that would have been impossible, but his dark past was less than warm. It was now reflecting back on his body.

"When I woke up, in the coliseum, I knew things. There were voices in my head. Not talking to me, but they were just there. They talked about Ansem, and his plan, and my purpose. I knew I couldn't let Ansem win, so I began my own plan. That's when I remembered you, and that's when I made my contract with Hades."

Leon ran his hands up and down Cloud's arms, trying to warm the cooling man. "What's the connection? What was your deal with Hades?"

"Hades is a driven God." Cloud laughed at his own statement. But it was almost forced and he leaned backwards for support. "I don't know what he saw in me, but he was driven forward. It might have been by lust or by power, but he never made his intentions very vocal. I understood the look in his eyes, but all he ever told me was he has uses for me. He needed me--wanted me, and me alone."

"Wait wait," Leon interrupted. "I heard a rumor your deal involved Hercules."

"That was the first. Hades wanted a deal between us involving Hercules, and a contract involving me."

Leon wanted to know more than ever. "What did you get out of the contract?"

When Cloud laughed again it was real, hinted with irony. "Sora told me Riku was the one who had my soul removed in order to prevent Ansem being able to use me. Similarly I took my own drastic measures, and Riku's were not needed." Cloud turned slowly and leaned forward to press his ear over Leon's chest. "Hades got me, if he gave me his Godly powers for one task. A private task that I would not divulge to him, and one that would have no restrictions so long as his powers allowed it."

The heart beneath his ear beat rhythmically, and strongly. Cloud smiled at the steady beat. "You want to know what I did with those powers, right?" Leon nodded. "I removed my heart."

Leon choked.

"And I gave it to you."

The brunet landed backwards, on the grass with a dazed expression. "You did _what_?"

"It was my safety net. If I gave my heart to you and Ansem was to acquire my body he wouldn't be able to use me. He couldn't take my heart, because it wouldn't exist in my body. I hid my heart in the one place I knew it would be safe. In the one person I knew I could trust. You. I gave you what made my heart so powerful and so withstanding" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "And then Riku became entirely too involved. I hadn't divulged my heart swapping secret to anyone, and he believed I was still available to Ansem. He took his own safety precautions and removed my soul. Without a soul or heart my body didn't stand a chance. Without one I could prolong death, but without either I was marked."

"So when I say you have my heart," He began.

"You mean I literally do," Leon finished. He sat, astounded at the information he had just been given. "So you've been running all this time. From the heartless, from Maleficent. Ansem, Riku and Hades. Everyone."

"Especially Hades," Cloud pointed out. "We had a contract, written nearly in blood. I belong to him and he won't stop chasing me until the end."

Leon shook in amazement. "Your heart and my soul."

Suddenly Leon remembered that conversation they had so long ago. Back when Cloud had come to the Town for the first time. Cloud had told him right out that his heart belonged to another, then quite literally, only Leon hadn't realized it. Cloud had dropped hints along the way that Leon was the holder but he hadn't paid attention.

Cloud confirmed. "We're connected. We're meant to be. You're hiding my heart inside of yours, and you've given me half your soul. We have pieces of each other deep within us."

Slowly Leon began to laugh. His body shook and he found it difficult to breath. He threw himself backwards on the grass to lay fully down. His laugh was deep and rich, his arms open and inviting. Cloud found himself burrowed in them moments later. "I can deal with it," He told Cloud with a genuine smile. "We're rather complicated, don't you think?"

"Just wait," Cloud pressed himself into Leon's side. "If you think this is complicated, you just wait." His words were a clear indication he knew something more than what he had shared, but Leon felt this wasn't the time to push for anything else. He had Cloud in his arms and in his heart, and that was enough for the moment.

"So, how're we going to get out of here?"

Cloud shrugged. "I'm sure an opportunity will present itself soon." Then he paused and frowned. His eyes slid shut and he clung to Leon. "Don't let me go," He begged. "In the end--at the end of it all, don't let me go. Just hold onto me, until the very end."

Leon turned frightened eyes on the sky line, but still promised.

He was ready to leave. Yes, Sora was done floating, and done thinking and done feeling sorry for himself. He had spent what felt like years going over his conversation with Cloud.

It had taken a while, but he had gotten himself in check.

It had been his frustration talking to Cloud earlier. It had been his stupidity arguing with his friend. And now he wanted the hell out of the black void.

He was going to get his Keyblade back. He was going to get Cloud's soul back and then he was going to kick some butt. No more playing around and no more Mr. Nice Guy. He was going to train, master the Keyblade and go after Maleficent, and then Ansem if necessary. If Riku stood in his way then so be it. He'd take Riku out if there wasn't any other way. Not to say he didn't love Riku, but it was a deadline of sorts. It was time for him to grow a backbone. It was time for him to grow up.

Now that he had his priorities in order, he really had to figure how to get out. Cloud had somehow managed. Cloud had simply disappeared. Sora wasn't completely sure if his friend had passed away, or if he had woken up, but Sora knew he wasn't there any longer.

Above all else he was tired, and he just wanted to go home. He promised himself a long bath and a long nap after he finished with the heartless. And he was assuring himself strongly he would win. With Leon by his side, and Goofey and Donald, Ansem didn't stand a chance.

He wanted his damned Keyblade.

He wanted out.

He hit the ground--hard.

Leon groaned as he worked the sharp pain out of his neck and the back of his head. Apparently when he had collapsed in Merlin's hut the floor had been anything but kind to him. The girls had tried to move him, and had only successfully dropped him back on his head. So now he was recovering with an ice pack and a soothing hand.

Next to him Cloud was pressed against the headboard of the bed with the blanket drawn tightly against and around his body. In his shaking hands he held a cup of warm tea.

Leon worried for him. Towards the end of their stay on the hill Cloud had become withdrawn. He seemed terrified of something, and in return Leon felt his chest become painfully tight. The blond obviously knew something, and while Leon hadn't wanted to know before, now he had a craving for the information. He wanted to know what was upsetting Cloud so much.

"You guys are leaving soon?" Yuffie asked, giving the men their desired distance. She was still unsure about the both of them, and was very much confused over the past hour.

It had been an hour, Aerith had confirmed, since Leon had promptly fainted. An hour where both men had literally died. Neither had been breathing, and neither certainly had heartbeats. She and Aerith had wept over their bodies until mysteriously, an hour after their deaths both had awoken at exactly the same time. It had been truly frightening. And Yuffie still hadn't been able to gain an explanation of what had happened from either man.

"Yes." Leon nursed his head in an attempt to sooth his headache. "Cloud and I need to get as far away as possible. This town is no longer safe without Merlin here, and we will be pursued. We would endanger the town by staying." Leon ventured a look to Cloud and frowned at the withdrawn man. "Can you girls give us a couple minutes alone?"

Yuffie nodded almost immediately in understanding, but Aerith seemed hesitant to leave them again, for what reason Leon didn't have the patience to determine. Finally Aerith departed with Yuffie and the men were left alone, the Godmother having seemingly disappeared earlier.

"I don't want you to come with me," Cloud told Leon in a very hushed voice.

"Don't be a stupid, I won't let you go without me." Leon moved the ice pack around, trying to numb a new part of his neck. "Don't even try and pull that self-sacrificing crap on me. What went on wherever we were was the real thing. What I feel for you, and what I know you feel for me is more than real. We're nothing without each other. The sooner you understand that, the better."

Cloud held a steady gaze on him for a while before taking a sip from his hot tea and nodding. "I just want you to understand--" He swallowed hard. "Hades will do terrible things to both of us if he ever catches up. He'll make you regret being born. He'll surely be coming, and we can't outrun him forever. I can't beat him, and you can't beat a God, either."

Leon held up a finger. "I have a theory on this."

Cloud was all ears.

"Ansem, Maleficent and the Gods are all connected in a symbiotic circle of sorts. If one of them falters the others are sure to go in due time. Hades normally isn't half as powerful as he is right now, and that's because he's feeding off the heartless and Maleficent. When Sora defeats her Hades' powers will drop of significantly, making it possible for Hercules to take him out."

"Wait!" Cloud shot forward, interrupting. "Hades mentioned something like that while we were drawing up the contract. He has a habit of talking to himself, and I've found it best to let those like him speak their mind. He's fully aware of the power Sora has. He's confident Sora is going to take out Maleficent sometime in the near future, and he said I would prevent him losing his power."

"That's his angle."

Cloud didn't want to think of how Hades would go about that process. He had obviously misjudged how far Hades was willing to go to secure his power. He hadn't seen this coming, and he had almost been taken advantage of.

"We have to go far away. If we're going to attempt to outrun a God and out time Ansem we're going to have to go far away."

"I know a place." Leon removed the ice pack from the back of his head. "What about getting your soul back?"

Cloud offered his tea to Leon, which the man gratefully accepted. "For the time being I see no danger for either us in sharing a soul. This, while rare, has been happening for nearly a millennia. Your soul would not have split if it were not able to accommodate the both of us. However I understand how imposed upon you are feeling, as your secrets have been thrust into my own mind. My own soul cannot exist without a body forever, but it will be sustained for the time being. So long as Ansem does not fall into possession of it we should be able to reverse this whole process."

"And what if? What if Ansem gets your soul without your body or heart?"

"That is when we should probably worry." His eyes felt to his blade resting against the footboard of the bed. He had longed for the sword and was happy to see it back in his possession. "My soul will never be enough for him to take form in this world, but it will give him enough power to break out of his dark prison. He will be able to possess another, and he certainly will know where to find me."

"This just gets worse and worse."

"Not so," The blond said, hiding a small grin. "My soul is safe for the moment."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that? It's just floating around, ready to be devoured by a maniac."

"It isn't just floating around. It's perfectly safe and perfectly protected. I was worried for a moment but I have faith in Sora, and I know he won't let the void swallow him or my soul."

Climbing to his feet Leon handed Cloud his tea back and frowned. "You've managed to confuse me again." Cloud shrugged as if to say 'I can't help that'. Then he decided to help the brunet.

"Riku stole my soul, and Sora came into possession of it. When we met in the void he told me he had lost it, but that really isn't possible. If he had it with him before the void, he had it with him in. I have a strong hunch my soul is hiding inside his body, waiting for me. It is naturally drawn to power and those who wield power for the light side." Cloud shrugged again. "That would account for how Riku was able to hold onto my soul without destroying it. Light and Dark mix and he was once the primary Keyblade master."

"You've got pieces of yourself all over the place."

Cloud nodded. "Yes, but they're all in people I love and people I trust. They will keep me safe, at least until I'm able to keep myself safe."

Leon settled his hands on either side of Cloud's face and he smiled gently. "I love you." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto the top of Cloud's head. "I will always love you." Leon leaned forward onto the bed to wrap his arms around Cloud's slender form. The bed creaked over the added weight but Leon paid the sound no mind and only drew his love deeper into his embrace.

Cloud bit down on his lip and allowed Leon to encase him. Leon would need this comfort if he hoped to survive the coming war. Leon needed it to regain his strength.

How did one outsmart destiny? Cloud wasn't exactly sure, but he was taking all available steps to prevent the coming. Sending his heart away and losing his soul had all been defiance of destiny, he was sure, but defiance intended he wasn't so sure. Whether he was changing his fate or not, he certainly wasn't making anything easy. He wouldn't leave the man he loved until the very end, and even then he'd go fighting. He'd go in the end, but it would be a fight, no matter what. He owed it to Squall to fight.

_Reviews make the chapters come faster, and discourage me from losing interest. _


	11. Chapter 11: The Funeral of Hearts

Broken Masks

Chapter Eleven: The Funeral of Hearts

Authors Notes: Due to the format I'm using, page breaks just aren't showing up. I'm trying something different each chapter but nothing seems to be working yet. Be patient and I'll attempt to work out the problem and correct it. Other than that I'm happy to report this chapter is fairly long, around 4500 words.

Author Warnings: Not Beta'd. But most importantly, I feel it's my duty to warn everyone that while this chapter attempts to clear and refine the plot, it can be confusing. If anyone is truly confused to the point of frustration, drop me a line and we'll talk.

Chapter Eleven: The Funeral Of Hearts

Cloud flinched only slightly as Aerith's palm struck his cheek sharply. Hot pain accompanied the action. She looked relived at her actions, looked as if she waned to do it again. She almost looked possessed and Cloud felt a flash of recognition in his mind. He knew who often looked as she did at the very moment and that worried him. She was becoming dangerous.

"You are not the man I fell in love with."

Ah, he observed, taking a step back as her hand twitched at her side. She was still upset about his lack of feelings for her. She was … angry. A dangerous angry that he knew all too well. That type of angry made people do risky things. It impaired their judgment and clouded reality.

"I am not."

"The Cloud I knew and loved would not so easily endanger his friends as you so carelessly have." She was attempting to mask the true reason for her anger. Cloud saw right through this false veil that was so poorly constructed.

"I have not endangered them. I would never purposely do such a thing." In fact he did what was necessary to protect them, foregoing any sense of self preservation.

He and Squall had told Aerith, Cid, and Yuffie just about everything they needed to know. Some things, very personal things were kept inside, but the necessary common knowledge was laid out. They all knew about his missing soul, and heart, and Squall's miraculous ability to share his own soul. Ansem's deep and dark plan was finally given light, along with Maleficent role in it and Riku's own deception. They had touched briefly on the subject of Hades, and only enough to allow their friends to understand why they had to leave so soon.

Still, Cloud doubted they understood just everything. Even his own precognitive type knowledge confused him at times. It seemed as if Destiny and Fate were alive, and living, thinking, intelligent beings of some sort. For as close as Cloud had listened to the voices in his head and tied the many subplots together, even he couldn't account for the changing variables.

Problems and plans were layered on top of each other in such a way Cloud felt the beginnings of a headache each time he thought about it too much.

Maybe the problem in fully understanding the situation consisted in neither knowing who was on 'their side' and who was not. Everything was supposed to be preordained, plotted out thousands of years ago and set into a specific set of events. From the words he spoke, to the man he loved, it was all decided, at least until a number of unaccounted variables were thrown into the equations. Now neither good nor evil was decided or easily defined, and when it mixed it confused DestinyRiku was a fine example of this. In an attempt to fix this confusion and these unaccounted variables, new things were happening that Cloud was not aware of. Squall's soul splitting was one of many. He could distinctly feel the confusion radiating through his body, even if it was not his own.

The usually quite voices were loud on the matter of these unaccounted variables. They were nervous about so many things causing Destiny's plan to derail. Cloud had a sinking suspicion they were actually Destiny and Fate being represented somehow vocally. They were just too all-knowing to be anything else. So when he felt their panic on the matter of Hades, Riku and Squall to name a few, Cloud got the distinct feeling they were in trouble. And if they really were Fate and Destiny, he had to ask why he alone seemed to be able to hear them. What made him so special, or so damned unlucky?

When he first awoken he had been surprised by the two different tones in his mind. A soft, mother-like voice urged him to seek out help for the upcoming battles, while another rough and deep all but demanded it. It had taken him a while to figure it out, but one voice represented Destiny, and the other Fate, because they were indeed two very different things. Destiny asked of him, and showed him the proper way. Fate told him of his place and his responsibilities. Fate showed no ability to change or adapt. Destiny was what could and should happen, while Fate told him what would inevitably come to be.

Originally Hades wasn't supposed to want a person contract with him. Apparently the greedy God had run into some information from some unknown source that had a way for him to harness a huge amount of power. He had some sort of leverage against Destiny that had the voices screaming. He had too much power already and they didn't know what to do if he gained any more. They weren't sure how to solve the problem he posed. Sora was supposed to take him out eventually, but they didn't feel the young Keyblade master was capable of it at the moment.

Among the smaller things Cloud understood it had been his fate to give his heart up to Squall, but it had certainly not been intended for Squall's soul to split and sustain the both of them. That had been a direct attempt for destiny to fix whatever had happened with Riku. The original Keyblade master was supposed to be corrupted by the darkness and his ambition but not to such a dark degree. The moment Riku had decided to oppose Maleficent and constructed a plan to prevent Ansem from returning, Destiny and Fate had realized too little, too late how wrong things were going. Things were happening so out of control they didn't have any foreseeable long-term solutions.

Ansem seemed to be the only thing that hadn't deviated from the plan. He was sealed neatly away, threatening but lacking the ability to injure life yet. And of all things this made the voices the most nervous. They believed if everything effecting Ansem seemed to be changing without their control, he should have been as well. The fact that he remained steady was suspicious. The voices became quite on the matter of Ansem, almost as if they were hiding something from him, but Cloud was sure they thought Ansem was the problem. For all his stability they were almost certain he was using something to change his own Fate and pull it in his favor, even if Fate wasn't supposed to change. They were concerned he was in control and had essentially taken over Destiny's purpose. They just didn't know how he had managed it, and that bothered them even more than anything else.

Destin and Fate had originally determined after this final battle, Sora would triumph and Ansem would be prevented from taking over. It was supposed to go down in favor of the light's side, but nothing was certain now. The plan had been nearly squashed and this left Cloud caught in the middle. Before the deviations he had understood his purpose and part in the grand plan. He had known his job was to assist Squall and Sora and ultimately give his life for the cause. He had accepted this and actually understood the purpose of the discontinuation of his own life. His ability to know the future had assisted him in understanding and accepting how important it was that his life end in the appropriate manner. His death was intended to allow the light side to win and give it the final boost in the most efficient way.

But what now?

The voices didn't know what to do, and neither did he. They didn't know where to send him or what to have him do. They were worthless.

Cloud felt exposed in the thought that Fate and Destiny would have no part in any future actions. He and Squall were officially own their own and in control of everything that happened from that point on, and it was a scary thought. Cloud had always felt it helped to have that guiding hand, ready to set you back on course if you happened to fall off for a second. Now their actions didn't have any controlled consequences. Now every single thing they did, big or small, counted for so much more than they could imagine.

So after thinking this through, Cloud knew how little Aerith understood of the situation. She merely saw the surface, and this was effecting her opinion.

Cloud's eyebrows knitted together. Still, there was something else hidden underneath her sweet and innocent charm. So he repeated himself, "I have not endangered Squall, nor have I compromised Sora in any way."

In a segregated corner of the First District Aerith glared at him with dark fury.

"You willingly gave your heart to Leon, knowing how many people were hunting for you and it. How can you not see that as endangerment? They'll find out he has it and take him and do who knows what to get it out of him. You've sentenced him to the same Fate you suffer from."

Ha! What did she know of Fate? The pathetic little girl was making herself look even more ignorant that Cloud believed possible. Never mind that one couldn't simply rip it out of Squall's chest because he or she desired. It had to be given, not forced which was a somewhat helpful catch. If there was some way to remove it without permission, Cloud wasn't in possession of that knowledge. Of course the Heartless had many ways of persuasion, so that small catch merely delayed whatever Fate had in mind.

"You misunderstand. There have been steps taken by Fate itself to insure I remain intact and alive." He tried to find a way to explain his situation to her in a way she would understand. "I wasn't supposed to be found out so suddenlymy importance that is. I was supposed to remain hidden away in the coliseum until it was too late for Ansem to realize the necessity of me. Something changed and it didn't happen that way, so to compensate other things began to happen. I myself don't fully understand, but there is some magic protecting me and anything connected to myself. This magic helps conceal me, and when I gave my heart to Squall some of that magic was transferred over. It protects and hides the both of us to some degree."

"Then why do you have to go away?"

The burning in his face had died down but he had no doubt some sort of mark would be left. He wasn't exactly sure what he would tell Squall. He wasn't sure if he'd be sharing this conversation with him at all.

"I said to a degree. Obviously the magic is weakening, why I do not know. I believed it was safe when I ventured to this town, and that Hades would not be able to follow me so easily. Despite my decision to come here, I did not bring Hades to the town on purpose, and therefore did not endanger any of you with intent." He paused to shift slightly in his new clothing, the soft blue pants, shirt and jacket being a large change from his normal attire. The outfit wasn't what he wanted to wear, but Yuffie had picked it out with bright eyes and presented it to him with the biggest smile, he found he couldn't turn her down. At least Squall had gotten the pretty sunshine yellow outfit.

Cloud frowned as he saw another dark look cross her face. Goodness, something about her bothered him. She was making him more nervous than the voices, and that was saying a lot.

"This magic is strained, and the already thinning ability to hide me has been stretched even further by the transfer of my heart. The magic is attempting to hide the both of us, and ultimately exposing us. We have to go far away or risk bring insurmountable danger to the few people left. We have to do this to ensure the safety of the majority of the town's population."

"Then go," Aerith said, waving her hand flippantly. "Take Leon and run away from the people who need you."

He braced his arms across his stomach, lines creasing in his forehead. "You foolish girl!" He snapped. "This town is insignificant without myself and Squall present. Yes, there will always be the few, lecherous heartless that reside in the second that third districts. They will remain until all major threats are gone no matter if we stay or go. The difference counts with the Gods and the larger Heartless. They will have no need to come here without incentive, and if you stick to the first district you should be safe. By leaving Squall and I expose ourselves almost fully, and walk into danger, while alleviating it from you. Now tell me how this is cowardice behavior."

Vile and vulgar words were on the tip of her tongue when suddenly she froze, mouth snapping closed. Her eyes locked somewhere over Cloud's shoulder and she took a step backwards.

"What's going on?" Leon's deep voice came from behind Cloud and the man allowed the tension in his muscles to dissipate. His tightly bunched shoulders sagged as Leon's hands settled on them from behind. "You okay?" He asked, leaning in to press a kiss on the shell of Cloud's ear.

Cloud nodded feeling the warmth of the man he loved. He leaned back against Leon's solid chest, deciding he liked being held, even if it was in the presence of another.

"Cid could use your help on the ship," Leon told Aerith, pulling Cloud back away from her. The defense in his voice had her rushing past the pair, arms folded over her chest.

"What was that all about?" He demanded, pulling his lover away from the dark corner and toward the brightly lit center of the first district. "Something's been off with her since we got back from our little adventure."

Cloud shrugged, rubbing the back of Leon's neck. "Stress, I'm sure." Even though he was even more it wasn't. "Is Cid still upset we're borrowing the ship? We are stranding him."

Leon rolled his eyes in a juvenile fashion and Cloud was hit with a rare memory. It was one of his own, seen through his own eyes as a small child. He smiled at the flash into his childhood. Sephiroth had stolen his memories and both Fate and Destiny made it clear he was easier to work with without them. He felt cheated on both fronts, but he assured himself his memories couldn't be hidden away forever. He'd recover them no matter what. It was only a matter of time.

"He said something about Journey swinging by with a few others to help defend what's left of the town. I know it isn't a target anymore, but I don't want to risk Yuffie and the others."

"It isn't this town we need to worry about."

"Hey hey," He interrupted. "We'll be fine. Nothing going to happen."

Cryptically Cloud replied, "That's what you think."

"Now you know I hate it when you do that." His arms crossed. "I really hate it."

"Do what?" Cloud asked genuinely confused.

Leon waved a hand. "You know, that foreboding, foreshadowing stuff. Your eyes get all cloudy and I swear you know more than you let on, which by the way if you do, I'd kindly appreciate it if you shared."

"What are you implying? That I can see the future?" Leon looked on and Cloud chuckled, turning to the side. "That would be impossible, Squall."

"Improbable, maybe, but certainly not impossible. Nothing is impossible now."

Cloud nodded. "How right you are."

The lapsed into silence, Cloud enjoying how Leon's hand strayed to his shoulder and rubbed softly.

"You're learning to be affectionate," Cloud observed. "I was under the impression you didn't like to express it in public."

In defense Leon withdrew his hands and gave Cloud a sour look. After a few seconds of uneasy tension Leon shrugged. "I almost lost you," He admitted softly. "So maybe I've got my priorities in order. Swallowed a little pride while I was at it."

"Sora has to be your first priority."

"No."

Head buzzing, Cloud mentally pulled back, trying to separate his own thoughts from the other voices. It was often easy for his mental voice and the others to mix, and he felt that might be how he was so easily influenced in the beginning, before he understood. At least now he knew why they were screaming about Squall falling even further off track of his original Destiny. They were worried if Squall wasn't fully dedicated to Sora first and foremost, he might not make the right choice in the end. Smirking, Cloud wanted to scream right back it didn't matter what Fate had originally intended, because it obviously wasn't going to happen exactly that way. He and Squall were making their own choices and creating their own Destiny, a previously unimagined concept.

"He should at least be one of your top priorities."

"He is, just not the top." Leon tipped his head back to watch the starry sky, dimming as the minutes ticked by. "I know it's selfish, but I'm going to put you first no matter what. Our childhood was not what it should have been. I didn't quite recognize how important you were and how much you ought to have meant to me. Now I feel like I'm getting a second chance, and I'll be damned if I let anyone take that away from me, Sora included. I want you more than I want to win this blasted war."

His hand caught the back of Cloud's neck and he tugged the younger male forward. "No matter what you believe or might have been told, you're allowed to live your life to the fullest extent. You deserve to be cared for and loved and cherished, and I want to do it all. I'm willing to fight for that right, even if it means sacrificing everything else." He dipped forward, brushing his lips against Cloud's, pulling back only when he felt heat radiate from the man he loved. The cherry lips and rouge blush made Leon dive back in, this time his other hand came to the back of Cloud's head, fingers tangling in blonde locks.

"If you want an us," Cloud said breathlessly, still tasting the taller man. "Then fight with Sora, for Sora. You won't fight with him today, but in the future you must be ready to." He sniffed lightly, a sad smile on his face. "I'm taken care of already. I'm a big boy and I've got big things looking out for me. This is something Sora doesn't have. He's young and impressionable and not quite ready for how much this is going to take out of him. If you want to be here for me, you be there for him. Make me proud and give us a chance for a future."

Cloud watched with darkened eyes as Leon snapped back viciously, his face pinched. "You're lying."

Cloud shook his head. "No, I'm not. Sora needs you far more than I do."

"Not that part."

The blonde reached out for him but Leon shied away. "Then what part?"

"The part about us." Leon's fears were confirmed when Cloud looked away, guilt written over his features. "You don't intend for there to be an us."

Cloud simply said, "There can't be. They won't let there be an us. I've already disobeyed so much"

"Who?" Leon's hands locked on Cloud's shoulders and he shook him roughly. "Who won't let us? You've been hinting at something for a very long time and I want to know what it is, right now."

No, Squall couldn't ever know. Destiny … the voices, it or them, or whatever they preferred to be referred to, wouldn't react well to Squall knowing. The more he knew, the more it jeopardized his survival. As it stood Squall would survive, that much was sure, but not if anything else took a drastic turn. The screaming indicated they'd be most upset if Cloud told.

"No one."

"It isn't no one, so stop lying."

Cloud chuckled. "Technically is isn't any one at all." Exhaling he countered, "Trust me. You don't want to know." The vacant expression on his face said that much. "It comes down to Destiny, Squall. You have your part and I have mine, and as bad as things might be going at the moment, other things don't change at all. You aren't privy to all the information in the universe for a reason, and why you ask me to divulge my secrets is confounding to me."

"I've got your heart in me, and you've got half my soul, so I think that qualifies me to know why the man I love gets this morbid look on his face every time I talk about the future. No use in trying to fool me into thinking you don't know anything."

"You really should drop this," Cloud warned.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"It wouldn't be safe for you to know what I do, and if you love me as you say you do, you'll accept this. I keep what I do from you for the sake of your sanity and your life."

"My life is already in danger," He spat. "Tell me."

"Don't make me," Cloud begged. "Please."

Only the absolute terror in Cloud's eyes had him backing down. "Alright, you win for now. We're leaving in fifteen minutes, don't be late." He stalked away towards the Gummi Port, his body language telling Cloud the man wouldn't be talking to him for a while.

"I am sorry," He told the retreating back. But the voices weren't, they were almost smug something had finally gone their way. Cloud vowed no matter what they said, he'd tell before the end was near.

Riku decided the only proper way to vent his frustration was to totally trash absolutely everything near him. That included his current living quarters, a personal possession or two and at least a dozen heartless that he happened to come upon in his fit of rage. He happened to think it made perfect sense to vent physically, especially with others in his near vicinity. He asserted his ability to rip into anything and everything around him, all for the sake of his temper.

His current destructive path took him towards Maleficent and the current holding area of the princess' of hearts. There he planed to destroy each and every princess if necessary to gain her attention. She seemed happy enough to let him do whatever he pleased, neither aiding nor obstructing his warpath. When Maleficent was neutral bad things tended to happen, and it usually meant she was plotting.

While he loathed needing help, his predicament called for it. There were obviously outside factors preventing him from keeping Sora in his grasp, and now full out denying him. As much as he was growing to detest the woman that had helped him come into his power, he knew she had a nearly unlimited amount of knowledge stored. If anyone in touch with the heartless could help him, she could. He didn't think she would so easily, but he was prepared to force her to cooperate. If she knew anything about Sora he'd be sure to get it out of her.

"I told you to leave the boy alone." Her deep and sinister voice carried through the open chamber, bouncing into his ears as strong as ever.

"He's mine," Riku hissed, hands balling at his side. "I told you to leave my business alone." Then a thought crossed his mind. "If you've had anything to do with"

She snapped around at him, furry blazing. "Watch your thoughts, boy!" She commanded, losing her usual resolve. "I have no interest in the boy and you will do well to remember this. I saw him as no threat and felt no need to interfere with his actions."

"Never mind he's sealing worlds at an alarming rate?" He questioned. "Seems to me you might be a little interested in that."

"He would never have gained enough power to oppose us."

"Would?" He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean will?"

Riku watched her fold bony fingers. "The heartless tell me he is no longer a nuisance."

"Where is he?"

"Lost."

Riku chucked. "Like your angel."

She assured him confidently, "He will be found in the necessary time."

"Don't be foolish," He snapped. "If he could be found it would have already happened. He's being well hidden, far away from you, Ansem and anyone else who might seek to use him, and I'd be willing to bet Sora had some part in his protection. Our dear little Sora is more a threat than you realize, and when your time runs out, you'll fully realize that."

"You stand to profit from this rather well," She observed, eyes closing to slits.

"I do," Riku confirmed.

Oh, Riku could just feel the hate pulsing from her essence. She wanted to hurt him, possibly even kill, but the woman was just intelligent enough to realize how much she still needed him. She was very much aware of his ulterior motives and his backdoor plans, but there was little she could do for the moment.

"A side deal might be profitable for the both of us."

"A trade?"

"I will present the Keyblade master to you, and you will expose the angel and his location."

"Do you thinks I'm an idiot?" Riku ran a hand through his hair, an arrogant tone fitting nicely into his words. "You have no idea where Sora is, let alone how to give him to me. If the Heartless are telling you he's lost, then you can't pinpoint his location, ergo, you can't deliver him to me. And even if you happened to know where he was, the magic protecting him wouldn't allow you within five feet of him. It was one instance when he waltzed in here, surrounded by the Heartless when that magic was being diverted, but on his grounds it would repel you almost immediately. You can't touch him, and you weren't counting on me knowing that."

Feeling the situation shift in his favor Riku skirted round her, towards the center of the room.

"Time is almost up and you're getting desperate. You're worried you won't find Cloud in time and you're exerting all Heartless in a wasted effort. Surely you must understand you probably won't find him in time. So whatcha planning on doing?"

"If that should come to be," She snapped back, "A suitable substitute is waiting if need be."

"How? I thought Cloud was the only one that could sustain Ansem."

"Indefinitely, but for a short period of time he would be transferred into the temporary candidate. It would insure a small buffer time, if you will, and with the release of Ansem, his own magic will spread through every world, canceling out any other magic."

"Effectively flushing out Cloud and anyone helping him. Brilliant. So what's the problem?" At her glare he continued. "If it were that simple you'd be more than willing to wait it out, but instead you're frantically pushing forward, hoping to acquire Cloud before that becomes necessary." That was it. Something sparked and her only weakness made itself known. "If you have to transfer him more than once it'll significantly weaken him, won't it?" Bingo. Her power was tied to his, and she was worried about fracturing that fragile symbiotic circle. And ouch, it stung her something awful that he knew.

Riku made to retreat. He had gained nothing of Sora's whereabouts but at least Maleficent didn't know either. And of course he had also stumbled upon golden knowledge that would help him exploit his rival's weakness. Now he could pour his own being into finding Sora, and then he could launch his final plan.


	12. Chapter 12: All Kinds of Monsters

Broken Masks:

Author's Notes: While it took me a bit of time to get the ball rolling on this chapter, the story is far from dead. I'm just currently reviewing my plot, revising it and working the last minute kinks out. The plot actually kinda ran away with me at one point and I've had to make a few changes to interlock the Riku/Sora and Leon/Cloud relationships. I'm happy to report there are no problems now and it's smoothing sailing from this point on.

Warnings: As usual, only myself and a good friend have looked the chapter over. I'm usually fairly good at catching my mistakes, but alas, things do slip by. Thank you to _My Bloody Hell _who offered to beta for me, and I promise to contact you soon.

_I'd just like to give a major thanks to Rita, who's review was actually what motivated me to jump into gear on this chapter. It was touched and honored by it. Also, major thanks to White Shadow who's review was the final push for me to finish this chapter. Thank you to everyone who really took the time to review, even with just a few words. This is my baby and I've been working on her for over two years now. When you fuel the fire, I feel really special, and tend to get really excited on working on the next part. _

Additional Notes: Finally, I'm using a primitive version of Word. It sucks. So scene changes will be indicated by (Kingdom Hearts) which isn't terribly original, but it suits the purpose.

Chapter 12: All kinds of Monsters

Sora realized almost immediately he was out of the void and back on a very hard surface. This back was freezing cold and he arched against the floor, blinking his eyes rapidly at the mellow light in the room. He reconsidered his quick assessment of his location, because he certainly wasn't in a room. He was in a, what was the word? That's right, Cathedral, and actually it seemed to be the one he had been in with Riku.

Well, he had wanted to get out of that horrible void he had been stuck in, so it only made sense he'd be returned to the place he had disappeared from.

Sora rose off the floor and glanced around the large chamber, looking for Riku or anyone else.

This thoughts were broken in a sense, causing a veil of confusion to fall over him. He felt disconnected or out of place. His memory eluded him for the most part and he could remember only bits the events that preceded waking. He was certain something had happened, but as his mind reached for those memories, a dark feeling grew in his stomach. Perhaps, he concluded, it would be better to leave those memories for the time being. His first priority was obviously to locate his friends, and Riku, and find a way out of the Cathedral, then afterwards he'd deal with everything else.

His fingers itched, and he recognized the feeling immediately. It was somewhat similar to the ache of missing his Keyblade, but far more sinister. The heartless were present on this world, and they were near. And now with both the Keyblade and Riku gone, Sora realized he was most certainly on his own. He estimated maybe minutes before they zoned in on him, with ever intention to consume his heart and leave him as nothing more than a shell, or ever worse, evil. Sora had the unfortunate opportunity to see what happened to those who were devoid of their hearts, and he found it a fate far worse than death.

He set off towards the large hallway that would lead him to the Cathedral's main doors. His shoes squeaked loudly against the glossy floor, and Sora flinched at the echoing sound.

Something behind him crashed loudly and Sora swung around, fists raised feebly.

"Hello?" Sora called out, eyes flying around at the shadows of the upper level. "Who's there?" The possibility of hiding places seemed to be endless. Sora wondered if he had misjudged the effectiveness of the Heartless. Had they moved fast that he had anticipated?

Aside from the rustling of his clothing and the continuous squeaking of his shoes, Sora heard nothing more. Part of him wanted to feel better there had been no reply, while instead the anxiety inside him grew. The Heartless didn't make an awful lot of noise, but they certainly weren't silent, and Sora definitely knew he had heard something.

After several more moments of utter tension, Sora eased himself again towards the large double doors.

He dove instinctively when a loud, frightening sound assaulted his ears. He felt a blast of wind as the doors swung open, while simultaneously the sound of splintering wood was audible.

"Who are you?" A deep, rough voice demanded.

Sora wasted little time scrambling to his feet. He planted his feet firmly, eyes adjusting to the new environment, as the wind had knocked out each and every candle, bathing them in darkness.

Outside a storm raged, thunder cackling in the background. The lightening taunted Sora with quick flashes of illumination that told him whoever was in the room with him, hiding in the shadows was much bigger than him. While facing off against larger opponents wasn't anything new to the petite preteen, he was usually aided by some form of weapon. Via the lightening Sora assessed his weaponry choices would be few.

"Who are _you_?" Sora called back.

"I am the Master," The voice echoed back, an air of warning occupying the tone.

"The Master?" Sora took a brave step forward, allowing the moonlight to stream through a nearby window and light his skin. "The Master of what?"

It had a sort of half limp, Sora realized as it made its way cautiously towards him. Heartless didn't have limps. Heartless were cannibalistic when it came to their own kind and injuries. Sora had been witness to them devouring each other for simple injuries. So unless this Heartless as alone, which they hardly ever were, it was not a Heartless.

"The Master of loneliness."

And as it stepped forward into the light, Sora brought a hand to his mouth to quell any sounds. While his action impaired his ability to properly breathe, he found it immensely better than risking his vocal cords acting on their own.

The monster flinched at Sora's reaction in an all too familiar way and stepped back into the shadows.

They stood in silence as the storm blew into the beautiful Cathedral, and the Heartless were still coming.

"You aren't a Heartless," Sora finally said after inching back a few steps. "What are you?"

"I am Misery. Loneliness. Heartless."

Sora shook his head. "No, no, you aren't a Heartless. I'm not quite sure what you are, but you are not a Heartless."

"I am heartless."

"Well, now," Sora commented, crossing his arms in a stubborn fashion. "That's unbelievable. I've come across a lot of creatures in my travels, and certainly I know the difference between having a heart or not. You must have a heart, because you haven't attacked me yet. You don't sound heartless, just sad. All things alive have hearts. Even the Heartless had hearts once, they just lost theirs."

Sora lifted a hand to brush back his hair the wind was forcefully whipping into his face, and moved forward with a determined expression. "Are you sad?"

"I am heartless!" It roared, and still Sora held hid ground. "Monsters do not have hearts."

"Sure they do," Sora argued back. "Every person and creature has a heart. Monsters have hearts just like everyone else. Though the thing with monsters, you see, is they've been meant to think they don't have hearts. Monsters can be good just like everyone else, as long as they believe. It isn't easy to hang onto your heart these days, but believing is the first line of defense. Just believe in yourself and the people you love."

The figure moved closer to Sora, but kept to the darkness. "I loved someone once," It volunteered. "She was beautiful."

"See?" Sora beamed. "I told you! If you're heartless you can't love someone. The capacity to love is found only in the heart."

"Then she left me."

"Oh."

Sora exhaled suddenly, shivering with dread. He swung around to the mortifying sight of an army of Heartless marching in their direction. They'd arrive at the doors in less than a minute.

"Those," Sora said, pointing at the dark creatures. "Are the Heartless. And we can't outrun them."

"They've never bothered me." The figure stepped next to Sora and the younger tried to avoid letting his gaze wander. "They killed everyone else, but they left me alone. They won't come in here."

Sora looked sharply up at him. "Why not? Is there a spell protecting this Cathedral?"

The taller nodded with trepidation. "Dark magic. They don't like it."

Sora watched in amazement as the Heartless reached the threshold of the doorway and stopped. Their numbers continued to build but they did not enter.

"Something so dark even the Heartless won't come in?" Sora paled in wonder.

"There is something underneath the Cathedral. I don't know what, but it is enough to keep them at bay. They devoured the people in the city and disappeared until you and that other boy showed up."

"Other boy?" Sora called over his shoulder, moving towards the Heartless. "Do you mean Riku?" Indeed, before the void Sora remembered being in the Cathedral. They had been here when Sora had taken Cloud's soul from Riku.

"He call himself that," The monster replied. "He has been here before, under the Cathedral. I don't go down there."

Sora starred the Heartless down with fury before slamming the doors to the Cathedral closed, sealing them out. He wasn't sure if the magic around the Cathedral would hold, but the doors would give them a buffer of a few seconds if the field fell.

"The Heartless don't kill," Sora corrected the monster's earlier statement. "They aren't capable of killing."

"Then what do they do?"

"To be the best of my knowledge they take hearts and transform people into Heartless. It's how their numbers grow so quickly. Just about every Heartless you see was a person at one time." That was honestly what made it so hard to kill them. Sora felt guilty each and every time he took the life of a Heartless. He realized at any time he could be killing Tidus, or Wakka or any of his other friends, or potential friends, and once a Heartless was gone there wasn't any coming back. Maybe killing a person who had become a Heartless as doing them a favor, but Sora didn't honestly know.

Sora's gaze settled on the monster. "Are you here alone?"

The monster turned abruptly from him and strode away to climb a tapestry to the second level.

"Father is gone!" the voice echoed down. "Father is never coming back!"

Heavy footsteps and noises followed the monster as he made his way around the visible balconies.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to go away!" Sora called upward. "He was your father, and he loved you."

"No!"

It was all but a scream and Sora felt to one knee with his hands over his ears. Then he heard nothing but silence afterwards. He stayed put waiting for the monster to return but found no such thing would happen. Instead he was alone.

"It was nice to meet you, anyway," Sora assured him. "I'm Sora and I come from the Destiny Islands. I promise you I'll defeat the Heartless and bring the people back. I don't know how I'll do it, but it will happen, trust me."

With a tip of his head Sora walked leisurely over to the double doors and threw them open, his eyes meeting with a fantastic sight. The Heartless army was all but destroyed, taken down by dozens of men and women armed with long swords and daggers.

Sora took a tentative step forward, over the threshold and felt the dark magic that had settled over him in the Cathedral, wash away. Out in the open he could breathe again, and his memory came back to him at an alarming rate.

A brief look upward had him gasping in amazement. He had never seen Gummi ships so big, and the one hovering over the Cathedral was one of immeasurable size. It had to hold hundreds of people, Sora reasoned, and very capable people as the Heartless were all but gone.

"Sora!"

A young man just across the courtyard was waving frantically at him through the wind and rain, having just finished plunging his sword into a Heartless' chest. He retrieved the sword and jogged to Sora, slicing through any Heartless that blocked his path.

"Journey?" Sora asked, eyes wide in disbelief. "Journey?"

"Yeah," The good natured teen laughed. "That's me, Sora."

"I though," Sora questioned, "You were going to Omega Colony."

Journey nodded, throwing an arm around Sora and settling his sword flat on his opposite shoulder. "I did, and you're looking at the finest warriors Omega has to offer." He gestured to the men and women who had just finished with the Heartless. "And of course, the fastest, most powerful Gummi ship ever built."

"Does Leon know you're out here hunting Heartless? Or Cid? Who's authority are you acting on?"

Journey steered them towards a cluster of people. "Sora, drifters don't have that sort of structure. We're self driven, void of any outside authority. We pick the targets we want and go after them on our own. We don't ask for help and we don't need it. We branched away from the dying planets for a reason. Anyway, we're out here to knock out an axis."

"An axis of what?"

"Of evil." Journey looked back over at the Cathedral. "That's one of Maleficent's most powerful branches of dark Magic and we intend to demolish it."

Sora tugged slightly on Journey's sleeve.

"But Journey, that isn't Maleficent's."

"Nonesense," A new voice erupted from the side, and towards them stepped a tall, utterly creepy looking young woman. He'd seen her before somewhere, or someone that looked a lot like her, but Sora just couldn't recall it completely.

"It's true!"

"I guarantee you, Keyblade Master, this is an outpost for Maleficent and the coming of Ansem."

If there was ever a time to stand his ground, Sora knew it was at the very moment.

"Look, lady, I'm going to explain this to you. Riku is in charge of that place. He's quickly gaining power and influence concerning Maleficent and it doesn't matter if she had control of the place before, he's got it now. Riku is far more powerful then you could ever hope to imagine. He's close to challenging Maleficent, and if that doesn't worry you, the fact that he's a million steps ahead of us at the current moment should. No matter the firepower of your ship, you can't hope to take that place down, especially if the Heartless are being prevented from entering it."

"Hey, it's alright," Journey said, patting Sora on the back. "How about we go on up to the ship and let the kids have their fun. If you're right they'll come back up to the ship and we'll all have a talk, okay?"

"But there's," what was it? "There is something in there--someone. There's someone in there."

"All the people of the city are gone," Journey told him gently. "Whatever is in there isn't a person."

It was someone, but Sora conceded and allowed Journey to lead him towards the looming ship, concerned first and foremost with getting back to the Town and picking up some form of defense.

(Kingdom Hearts)

He was utterly and completely falling apart, and he was certain Squall knew it. For the past hour he had sat in the small personal cabin he shared with Squall, on their bunk with his knees drawn up to his chest. His fingers were curled tightly into balls and clenched them into his stomach. He had yet to stop the shakes in his body and above all else, the damned voices were back louder than every, driving him nearly up a wall.

Their destination was one of paradise. It was most likely the last world untouched by the Heartless, hidden quite ingeniously by its founders. The voices had divulged its location to him just a while ago, feeling it was the appropriate place for him to hide until his time had come.

However, reaching their intended destination wouldn't be easy on him. In order find the planet they'd have to travel through deep, evil space. A type of space much colder then the rest, filled with more Heartless battleships than Cloud felt he could handle. Each and every Heartless he felt. It was a curse of sorts, but he felt their pain, anguish, anger, violence and disturbingly enough, he felt the fragments of their souls and the wake of their hearts. Some of the Heartless didn't know what they were, and those hurt the most. Squall didn't know he felt this, and he'd hide it from the man if he could.

He had spent just enough time in the main cabin to direct Squall and make sure their course would be as uninterrupted as manageable. Then he had excused himself to the lower deck.

They still weren't talking, but that was okay. Cloud knew he loved Squall, and the man certainly loved him in return. As they reached the final stretch of their stay together, Cloud was rather glad they weren't on the greatest of terms. The end was going to be brutal, bloody and hurtful. The distance between them at the moment would make the final separation that much easier. He was confident Squall could go on without him, and that was ultimately what mattered.

Cloud threw himself down on the bed face first as they passed by something big. Between the ice in his veins and the screaming in his head, he wondered if he'd pull his hair out by the time they reached their paradise. It felt like an anxiety attack on a level he had never experienced before. So yes, he felt he was falling apart, and psychologically losing his foothold on reality.

He wanted Squall to come down with him. Maybe hold him or just talk, but that simply couldn't be. The older male was busy trying to keep them under the radar and from being discovered. In this type of space there would be no backup for them if they were found. Capture meant sudden death for Squall and something far worse of him. He'd go directly to Maleficent.

Sometimes, like these, Cloud was most bothered by the reluctance of the voices. The ability for them to only divulge long term events was becoming catastrophic. It was like knowing the destination, but not the road you'd travel to get there. If he knew they would reach their destination in one piece he'd certainly feel a lot better.

Now he concentrated on breathing and on fighting the darkness off. He had given his heart Squall, and his soul to Sora, leaving him empty. While half of Squall's soul was sustaining him, it wasn't enough to fight off the darkness of the evil. It was the flaw in his otherwise perfect plan. In his current state Maleficent couldn't use him, but the Heartless could certainly take him without a fight. He was weakened by merely being in the presence of a Heartless. That was why they were running from Hades and the other Heartless, even if Squall didn't know it.

Squall was protected, Cloud reminded himself. Squall had two hearts which made him nearly impervious to the Heartless. No matter how weak Cloud became, Squall would be there to protect him, and that worried the fallen Angel more than anything else.

Oh, dear, Cloud realized as he suddenly couldn't breathe. His hands came to his throat and he made a soft choking sound. He knew the darkness coming toward them. He'd know it anywhere. They were headed for a collision with Sephiroth, and there wasn't any escaping it.


	13. Chapter 13: The Beginning of a War

Chapter Thirteen: The Beginning of a War

There wasn't any point of trying to outrun an entity such as Sephiroth. Such a dark force had the ability to seek out those who did not wish to be found. So it was Cloud sat on his bunk, making no attempt to move. The ship's sensors would have picked Sephrioth's own craft approaching them by now, and readings would tell Squall the ship had a definite fix on them. Cloud knew it was pointless to even attempt to run, and by now Squall knew as well.

He need only close his eyes to understand the full impact. Somehow, and Cloud couldn't phantom it, Sephiroth was coming after them with deadly precision. They were being pursued by one who had superior strength and use of the dark arts. There was something t hat was allowing Sephiroth to track them, above any degree of normalcy.

Sephiroth was nothing to be trifled with, Cloud remembered that much. Disturbingly it seemed his memories were slowly seeping back into his awareness, but only those of a dark and violent nature. He withheld hope that this pattern would change.

The door to the small cabin opened and Cloud raised his line of vision to take in the sight of his partner.

"There's a ship," The tall brunet said, "It's trailing us, and with superior engines. It's going to catch us in a short while."

Leon walked the short distance to the bed Cloud was perched on and sat on the edge.

"It doesn't have any markings, at least any that I can distinguish, but I don't think it's friendly. When it gets close enough it can either destroy us, or board us. I want to know what you think we should do. Do you think it's heartless?"

Cloud rested his arms on his drawn up knees. "It's Sephiroth."

"Are you sure?" Leon's jaw clenched and he ground his teeth. "Are you absolutely sure."

Cloud drew in a rugged breath and tightened his arms around his knees. "Yes, I'm certain. I can feel the darkness in my bones. It's chilling me." And indeed he was shaking. "He's more powerful now than when we last encountered him. He's driven by jealousy, rage and anger."

With a tentative hand Cloud reached out and curled his fingers around Leon's wrist. "He's coming to consume me."

Leon scooted forward to draw the shaking man into his side. "I won't let him."

"He's also coming to kill you."

"Yeah," Leon said, "I bet I sure pissed him off the last time we met."

Leon and Sephiroth had never been best friends. They had managed a steady acquaintance that benefited both parties involved, but in childhood they had never been more. Sephiroth had always seen Leon as an obstacle in his path, and likewise Leon had despaired at the way in which Sephiroth sought power. Before their worlds had begun to collapse, Leon had grown increasingly worried about Sephiroth's attraction to Cloud.

Month before the world died, Leon began sticking to Cloud, keeping the younger away from Sephiroth. It was fact the silver haired male was dabbling in dark arts, and feeding off a power locked deep away. Sephiroth was attracting the first wave of the heartless, Leon now realized. Sephiroth may not have been aware of it at the time, but he, and his meddling into the darkness, was what essentially brought the Heartless to their world so early on.

Leon questioned Cloud, once and only once before the collapse. He wanted to know why Sephiroth was interested, and Cloud hadn't offered much.

"He thinks he's meant to be a divine being," Cloud had told him. "He told me I'm the path in which he's to take in order to achieve his status. He needs me, Squall."

Sephiroth had done something to Cloud, of this Leon felt confident in stating. It was what made Cloud such a target for Destiny and Fate. It was surely the cause of Cloud's hardship and pain, and without a doubt, what had Sephiroth seeking him.

Cloud leaned into Leon's embrace, tucked comfortable against the man.

"Neither must happen, Squall."

Leon asked, "So what do we plan to do, then. We can't stand next to him in a firefight, we can't outrun him, and if we were to face him one on one, we'd lose. You're weakened just being in the same area as him, and he's … changed. He's different from the last time I faced him in a spar. There's something inside of him that's making him different, and that probably includes enhanced skills."

"I forgot," Cloud said, "Forgot what happened to him." He looked to Leon with a frightened look. "I know why he's tainted."

Leon wondered outright if he ought to ask. Cloud was visibly hurting by the knowledge, and Leon wanted nothing to do with intensifying the pain. Finally, he had to ask. "Why is he tainted?"

"Because," Cloud started, in a voice that told Leon he wouldn't like the information, "He was judged by the fellow divine, and found inadequate. He felt so strongly that he was meant for some sort of ascension into their ranks that he tried to take the status violently. He tried to force his way into the group by manipulating his heart and soul."

"How?"

Cloud shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. I know he had to remove both several times, which probably exposed him to the growing presence of the Heartless. Each time he removed either he found he was farther and farther from his goal. The true divine caught wind of his plan and placed themselves on such a high pedestal he could never reach it on his own."

Leon realized, "And that's why he needed you."

"He told me he needed my innocence. He needed something so pure and ultimately divine that he couldn't be turned away. He stole my very essence and merged it with his own."

Leon griped Cloud close. "This was when you went missing; right aw the very end, right?" Cloud nodded, and Leon continued, "What happened to you? He took your soul and heart and gave you nothing in return."

Leon was crushed at the thought. Thankfully he had been able to give something back to Cloud. It wasn't enough to eternity, but it would last for the moment.

"I drifted away into nothing. I was an empty shell, susceptible to the Darkness. It was then that Fate and Destiny found me, before the Heartless could claim my body and make their way into our world. I received my purpose at that very moment."

"And Sephiroth?"

"He was cast out before he reached the divine status. Those above took the merged essences and broke them apart. To me they returned my soul and heart. That is why Maleficent wants me so badly, because I'm touched by the divine. They took my body and returned me to life. My body is no longer mine, but a temple to house what they will claim outright after my death."

"I don't understand!" Leon threw his arm out. "Why you! Why does all this have to happen to you! They can't just claim you, even if they've touched you. It isn't fair for so much to be placed on you."

Instead of answering Leon, Cloud continued, "When they separated Sephiroth and I, they did it purposely incorrect. They gave back all of my goodness and innocence, and the smallest bit that Sephiroth had left over in his own soul. Essentially they made us brothers. They made us complete opposites, and therefore compliments. We are both extremes, though in different directions. That is why Sephiroth seeks me. He wishes revenge on those that denied him is divine status, and to do that he must first reach them."

"Which entails him consuming you," Leon finished. "So instead of just one royally pissed off guy, I'm dealing with the epitome of evil, right? In less than an hour I'm going to be faced with Sephiroth who is the center of evil, so much that the Heartless fear him."

Cloud nodded. "Yes. He made a final, desperate attempt to, for all intents and purposes, own me, just before the destruction of our worlds. The Divine, Fate and Destiny had already tampered me with, so when he attempted to bind my memory, he destroyed it further. I was left without anything, Squall, not even my name, because every memory I have is linked to you in some way. We're so intertwined he nearly destroyed me, and would have torn my mind apart had he fully succeeded. He is dangerous, Squall, in ways we can't begin to understand. If we engage him he has the ability to twist our perceptions of reality. We won't mean anything to each other if he wills it."

"I'd be more appreciative if you could tell me how to kill him."

The blond reached out for Leon, threading their fingers together. "I don't believe there is a way. Sephiroth is consumed by the black void. He is death himself. I knew if he found us, all would be destroyed. We can't win against Ansem and Malificent if we have to face Sephiroth."

Leon tugged Cloud over to him and into a fierce hug. "We'll figure it out, I promise."

"We have to, Squall, because everything we've done and worked for can be destroyed in a blink of an eye." Cloud paused, his eyes closing. He was still, only his chest moving with breath. Then, with an air of confidence he said to Leon, "I've got an idea."

(Kingdom Hearts)

"Not that I'm ungrateful to see you, Sora, but why are you here of all places? You're on the edge of a system of planets that harbor the darkest of creatures. These are places that were first overrun with the heartless, and then attracted things much more dangerous."

Journey led Sora through what seemed like a maze of corridors and passageways, on the large Gummi Ship. They rode lifts up, and took stairs downward, thoroughly confusing Sora as to their position on the ship. He supposed it was just incase he was ever compromised. _The Artemis _was the most advanced ship the Drifters had, and if it fell into enemy hands, they'd have lost the war on their part.

Intrigued, Sora asked, "More dangerous than the Heartless? How is that possible?"

They entered a final door, and what looked to be an observation deck. With childlike curiosity Sora trekked over to the large windows and looked down, seeing the Cathedral, despite the dark shadow that had fallen over it, to be a thing of beauty. He could also see others from the ship continuing to flow into it, hell-bent on finding something—anything.

"Sora, you know as well as I do that the Heartless turn their victims. They steal their hearts, corrupt them and then assimilate helpless innocents into their dark ways. It's heartbreaking to watch your friends, family, or anyone be turned against you in such a way, but the Heartless are flawed. They can be destroyed easily, just as easy as they replicate in numbers. Not to mention we can get them back."

"Get them back?" Sora's eyes grew large and began to water. "We can reverse the process?"

"It's not easy," Journey said, "And to do so, you'd have to destroy the source of the Heartless, but it's possible. To get anyone back their hearts have to be returned to them, and the hearts are currently being kept in an unknown location, acting as fuel for Maleficent and Ansem. If we get them back, and return the hearts to the people, they'll revert to their old selves."

The words, as marvelous as they were, could not stop the clenching feeling in Sora's stomach. "But the Heartless corrupt the hearts, they have to in order to take them from a person. They simply can't take a pure heart, and I don't think we can put a corrupt one back into a Heartless and expect a wonderful miracle."

Journey sat himself on the nearest seat, still within visual rang of his younger companion. Then, with a smile he said, "Hearts are amazing, Sora. Despite what you may hear, they're inherently good. A person's natural desire is to be good, not dark, and the heart is the process in which we do so. It has amazing capabilities of regeneration, and I hold true to my word that if we place a corrupted heart back in a heartless, it'll bloom into a thing of beauty. That heart will sense the darkness in the Heartless, and if even a small part of it remembers the good it did before the transformation, it'll begin the process of changing a person back. Yes, I admit it's a long shot, and not every Heartless may take to it. Even more I worry about placing the right heart in the right Heartless, if for some chance the two do not seek each other out, but those are chances I'm willing to take to get a loved one back. We've all lost someone Sora; don't you want that person back?"

How many people, Sora wondered, had he lost so far. Had Destiny Islands been taken over yet? And if not, how long until it happened? What about all the people he'd met along his quest? If he returned to any of their worlds, would he find chaos?

"You're right," Sora said, "Even if it's a small chance, we have to take it." Then he frowned. "But what can be worse than the Heartless?"

"It's the Bosses doing, Sora. Ansem, Maleficent, Hades, Hook, they're all dabbling into things darken then what they understand. The threat is not upon us yet, thankful, but if they continue on their path, we'll be under siege worse than you could ever imagine. These dark things, which are bred from the darkest of intentions, do not convert or change people, they merely kill them. They're ruthless, chaotic and worst of all, have no sympathy for anyone or anything. It's dark magic Sora, and not even the Heartless, the Bosses or you can stand up to them. Dark magic is locked away and forbidden for a reason. The last time anyone tried to harness the power, like Maleficent is doing right now, uncountable worlds were destroyed, in thousands and thousands of systems. Billions and billions of lives were merely blinked out of existence, in the cruelest, most painful way you can think of."

Sora left his place at the window and took a seat across from Journey. "You're talking about the Burning Wars." Sora's features took on a look of disbelief. "There were old books on my Island, and they talked about those. They're supposed to be just myth."

"Those books shouldn't have survived. It's a pure miracle they did. And I wouldn't exactly call it a war. People thousands of years ago didn't stand a chance against the black arts, once physical manifestations became regular. People were hunted down and slaughtered for mere sport, and they had no defense."

"The books said everything just suddenly stopped one day." Sora's eyes drifted back to the Cathedra, now in flames. "The books said the demons just went away."

Journey nodded. "And in an effort to ever prevent such destruction from happening again, they burned everything. Every inch of parchment, books, records, it all had to go. Everyone, on every world was supposed to destroy any record of the Wars ever taking place. They also burned anything associated with magic, the dark and light kind. It's how magic itself came to have a bad connotation. On many worlds all magic was banned, the reason hidden. And as archaic and horrible the thought is, it kept the black arts out, until now. Some things have obviously survived, and if we don't stop Maleficent and Ansem, they'll unleash a plague upon us, from which we probably won't survive. The first time people were lucky, and something stopped the dark, this time I get the feeling we're out of luck."

Sora leaned forward to hide his face in his hands. "Just another reason to take down Maleficent and anyone who stands in my way."

"However, at least with this we have a warning. We have a fighting chance to stop a second coming, and we're going to succeed. We don't have a choice on that part."

"I wish I hadn't asked."

Sora rose from his seat and wandered back to the window. "Why are you burning it? How are you burning it? I was in that church, and it's suffocating, almost. There's dark magic protecting it, so I don't see how you could be burning it."

Most of the church was on fire, and Sora could see the long burning parts beginning to collapse. It was only a matter of time until the whole thing came down. Where was the creature that had been in there? Had he escaped in time?

"We have our ways of dispelling dark magic. Mind you, it's nothing strong enough to ward off an attack, but breaching barriers is what we do best."

Journey joined Sora at the window. "You see, with the rising threat of dark magic and the dark arts, we've been forced to take up the practice our self. We're not messing with any of the things that could, and will, if given the chance destroy us, but we are picking up ways to use the dark against itself. It's a very slow, tedious and dangerous practice, but it's the best that we have now."

"Hey!" Sora pressed his palms against the large windows and leaned forward. "I know him! I met him in the Cathedral!"

Sora pointed below to a large figure, shackled and chained, being led from the burning Cathedral. He was giving Journey's companions a real fight, roaring and throwing his bodyweight around. Several times Sora and Journey observed the figure almost break free of his bindings, only to be forced into submission a short time later.

"What're you going to do with him?" Sora demanded. "He's not a Heartless, I would have felt it. He's not evil, either."

Journey leaned closer to get a better look. "He certainly isn't human."

"Neither are Donald and Goofey!" Sora huffed, angered at his friend's intolerance. "You don't have to be human to have a good heart or have good intentions!"

"In these days, I tend to trust no one, Sora. He was found in the Cathedral, and that makes him a suspect. He could be working with Maleficent, or conveying messages between bosses, or a number of other things. He's the only one we've found thus far on this planet, besides you, that isn't a Heartless. We're at war, Sora, and we can't afford to take chances."

Sora crossed his arms, his own heart aching. "He isn't bad, you have to trust me. He's just heartbroken, not heartless. He's missing his father, and he knows he's never coming back. I can feel his own soul singing to mine, Journey. You don't have any right to hurt him."

Journey waved his arms in front of him. "Hey, hey, no one said anything about hurting anyone. If we make the determination that he isn't a Heartless, we'll simply keep him on board until we find an appropriate place to drop him off. We'll ask him a few questions and treat him with the utmost respect if he isn't a Heartless."

"That doesn't look like respect."

"That's for his own good. He obviously was willing to go down in the fire, and we've removed him by force. We're saving his life Sora, which should tell you something about our intentions."

Journey turned his back on the scene. "Now, why don't you tell me what you're doing so far out here. The last time I heard about you, you were still missing, presumed possibly dead."

Sora also reluctantly turned away from the action occurring far below his own position. "Riku brought me here. He saved my life back with Maleficent, but only so he could try to convert me. He wanted to take the Keyblade so he could kill Maleficent."

"That sounds pretty good to me."

"And then he'd take her place, with unimaginable power. I think Maleficent isn't the only one dabbling into magic they should be leaving alone."

"And that sounds pretty bad."

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "I can't let Riku do that, no matter what. I'm prepared to destroy him if I can't convince him otherwise."

Journed sighed, "I hope so, Sora." Then the older male straightened up his stance. "Come on, I'll take you up to the bridge, we should be leaving soon. I'm sure we can make a stop by Transverse town."

"No," Sora said, "I can't go back there. Take me to Twilight Town. They haven't been hit nearly as hard as Transverse town. They have Gummi ships still in operation."

"Are you planning on going somewhere?"

Sora smiled faintly. "I'm planning on ending this all, once and for all. I'm going to find Riku. If I can't turn him to our side, I'll make sure he doesn't stand in my way of destroying Maleficent." Sora leaned forward to rest his hands on his knees. "I'm tired, Journey. I'm tired and I need a long rest. I'm going to end this so we can all have a break from the pain and misery and the death. It ends now because it has to."

Journey's firm hand squeezed Sora's shoulder. "Let me send out a communications wave and see if I can get a hold of Donald and Goofy. If you're going now, you'll need them to have your back."

Sora said, "Sure," Then turned back to the burning and waited.

(Kingdom Hearts)

Elsewhere Maleficent could barely contain her anger, the Heartless around her shirking about. She studied the bosses in front of her, eying particularly Captain Hook. She said, "Our plans will be foiled if that creature is allowed to take Cloud for himself. Go after him, take a fleet and intercept them." She turned on Hades. "And you will return to your lair. Don't bother to show your face until you are prepared to serve our cause."

She eyed each creature in the room, her eyes ablaze. "The rest of you will find Riku. He has betrayed us and must be punished accordingly. He works to destroy us and what we plan to do and that cannot be allowed."

She waited for each to dissipate from the room before allowing a grim look to settle on her face. She would have preferred to wait before fully engaging the enemy, but she felt the date for Ansem's revival growing closer. They had to be prepared, had to have Cloud, and now was the time to act.


	14. Chapter 14: Disenchanted

Chapter Fourteen: Disenchanted

The ship shook. Not that a ship in space shaking was unheard of. Gummi Ships were built specifically to allow for shaking. Because of the dangerous to traveling, it was only expected that sooner or later a Gummi Ship would have to encounter volatile conflict. Ships were simply intended to shake, even simply flying through clear space. However, the shaking currently occurring on the ship was far from standard.

"Our propulsion is shot!" Leon found himself shouting as the consol near him erupted in a spray of sparks. "Engines are fried!" The man gripped the edge of the station, eyes scanning over the lines of text that informed him of the ship's state.

"Quiet," Cloud told him impatiently. "That's not important right now, Squall. Sephiroth isn't planning to destroy us."

Leon snapped, "Just destroy my ship, right?"

"Disable it more likely."

Weapons had been the first to go. They'd been traveling along at their highest speed, despite the inevitability of being caught, when the ship gave a desperate lurch that send Cloud slamming to Leon, and the both of them to the ground. That first well aimed shot had knocked most of the systems out of alignment, and their speed dropped considerably.

Pause had been given afterwards. Leon scrambled towards the bridge while Cloud sat back down on the bed. Cloud had learned long ago that there was no such thing as giving in, at least with the other man. Cloud accepted the unavoidability of their situation, but he made no attempt to stop his companion. Leon needed to be active. The man thrived under pressure, and Cloud understood well enough that there would be no stopping him from tying to get away.

Instead Cloud relaxed back on the bed, closing his eyes. Until they'd been interrupted he'd been attempting to pool what little power he had left in his body forward. He had an idea, and even if it wasn't a very good one, it was the only one he had. Cloud needed every second they had in order to begin what Leon would finish.

Concentration, however, was impossible to achieve once Sephiroth began firing on them again. The groaning of the ship seemed to cut desperately into Cloud, and he found it impossible to wait in his bunk while Leon tried frantically to save them. He'd gathered all the energy possible and found it was time to act with it.

"This would go far easier for the both of us if you would simply hold still," Cloud said, hands on Leon's shoulders jerking him back in front of him. "As you have said, our engine is now properly damaged. Shields will be the next to go, and within moments we will be boarded. That leaves me very little time to accomplish much, which you are only making harder than necessary."

Leon squirmed. "Am I supposed to be comfortable with you putting your fingers in my head?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You realize you're acting childish, right? I told you it will feel as if I'm reaching into your mind with some grasp you may feel reminded of, not that I would be doing it literally."

"You're going to be doing something in my head, right?"

"Initially, yes, but it's only a method in which to reach far more important places. Now hold still." Cloud raised cold fingers and pressed them against Leon's forehead. "Close your eyes and concentrate." Behind them a warning flashed, alerting them to the fact that the shields had completely fallen. "And for all our sakes, ignore the distractions!"

Leon held his gaze on Cloud's face, holding desperately to the softness he had never quite seen before. Not that he discounted Cloud as an admirable warrior. He had always been thankful they'd been on the same side their entire lives, only engaging in battle jokingly. Still, for all the danger contained in the man's capabilities, there was softness. Leon knew he would die to preserve that.

"Okay," Leon told him. "Do your stuff, but then we're going to have a little talk about your plan." He barely had time to notice Cloud's amused nod before there was a flash of pain in his mind and he lost awareness of his surroundings.

Like Cloud had said, Leon felt familiar sensations. With the pain gone as soon as it had appeared, he became aware of everything and nothing all at once. He felt as if he were barely in existence, and the only thing holding him in place was the gentle rubbing of his back.

He couldn't see Cloud, or anything for that matter, but he had no need for eyes. Instead he sensed his companion. He smelled the familiar scent and felt Cloud's presence just hanging over his shoulder. His hand tingled, as if it was being held, and a smile pulled at his lips. There was something just in the distance that called to him.

"Squall," a voice echoed in Leon's ears. "Don't let me lose you."

He wanted to call out that he had no intention of being lost from Cloud.

"Ah," the voice said again. "There you are."

Leon was back. He felt to his hands and knees on the cold Gummi Ship floor. His shoulders shook in an effort to keep him upright, and he gasped in air, feeling as if he had not breathed in the longest amount of time. His vision was blurry, but he could see Cloud's feet.

"Tell me how you feel," Cloud said, sounding strangely distant to Leon.

"Like I'm on fire, but freezing! What did you do to me?" He blinked up hazily. "What did you do?" He noticed Cloud's face was shaded a worrisome white, and sweat gathered on his forehead. Leon observed Cloud's body seemed to alternate between locking up and shaking, and normally bright eyes were suddenly vapid. Leon reached for him in concern.

"No," Cloud nearly yelled, managing to move back in time. "Don't touch me." He sighed, and then offered Leon a half smile. "You have to get up on your own. I know it feels strange, like it's not your body. Or maybe you just don't know what you feel. Either way, you can't touch me, and Sephiroth's ship is moments away from docking with ours. The time to act is now."

With far more effort than Leon ever expected, he climbed to his feet. "I don't feel the heat anymore. I'm just cold now. I've never been this cold before. What did you do?"

"I have no doubt Sephiroth would be able to sense you the moment he got within a certain range. He'd seek out your mind, corrupt it, and then take it over. It's safe to say he naturally assumes that you're here with me, but I want to throw him off guard. I want him to be completely unaware of you."

Leon glanced down at his hand, feeling very strangely that he did not know himself.

"It will not pass," Cloud told him. "You should become accustomed to it."

"What did you do to me?" Leon asked a final time. He trusted nothing irreversible or damaging had occurred. He knew he would never be betrayed by Cloud, but the sensation he was currently experiencing was otherworldly.

"In order to hide you from Sephiroth, I had to hide you from yourself."

Leon blinked at him, hardly comprehending the words. "From myself?"

"Yes, from yourself. As I said, Sephiroth would seek your mind out. If you can't find yourself, he won't be able to find you."

Leon leaned on his knees, palms digging into the caps. "Did it have to hurt so much?"

Cloud nodded. "I effectively severed a link. I told you pain would be involved."

"You said pain, not excruciating agony followed a really distorted feeling."

The ship shook again, however much different than before. It was the final indication that Sephiroth's ship had joined with theirs.

"We don't have time to discuss what you're feeling, Squall. I promise that to you afterwards. What you do need to know is that even if Sephiroth can't sense you, he has eyes and will see you. You have to keep out of sight at all times. You'll be able to move freely through his ship without setting off any alarms, but that will be gone the moment he sees you."

Cloud barely dared to move closer to Leon.

"Squall, because you're in a sense disconnected from yourself, you won't be affected by Sephiroth's deception. Whatever illusion he forces me into, you won't be affected. You'll be able to see through it."

"What do I do?" Leon asked frankly. "You just said you had a plan that might combat Sephiroth. You never said anything about it just being me. What about you?"

"I don't have nearly enough power for the both of us, and I don't think I could hide myself anyway. I chose to give the last of my power to hide you because you're the only one who can make a difference here. I don't know how you're going to deal with Sephiroth, but this will give you the edge to do it."

"You're not even sure if he can be killed!" Leon spat out, reaching once more for Cloud.

"Don't! Don't touch me! You'll undo everything if we make contact. My power will return and you'll be resorted to your previous state. Everything will be for nothing if you touch me. Everything is ridding on this. He didn't use his illusions the first time because he thought his tampering with my memory was successful, at least to some degree. I was lucky, but he won't make that same mistake twice."

Cloud suddenly stilled, eyes going wide. Leon was sure that Cloud might have turned a shade whiter, if at all possible. "He's here," he breathed out. "Squall, please, leave now. Get out through the access shaft. The only way you'll have any chance of beating him is if you have the element of surprise. Don't lose our one advantage."

Cloud's knees felt weak. He lunged for his chair, seeking out any stability he could. After a moment he felt more than merely weak. He felt seriously ill.

"Cloud?"

Vision blurry, Cloud glanced up at the familiar voice. "Squall?"

For a split second Cloud felt split in two. He saw himself, braced against a Gummi Ship seat, and then he believed the sight to be deceitful. He wasn't in space, traveling on a Gummi Ship. He didn't even know what a Gummi Ship was. No, he was at home, with Squall, exactly where he was supposed to be.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, feeling hazy. He pushed himself up off the grass. The wind push through his hair, disrupting it, but Cloud made no move to prevent the occurrence. He glanced about the scenery, placing himself atop the highest hill on the outskirts of town, the one with the large, bent tree.

"Nothing," Leon told him. "You just fell asleep. You must have been dreaming. I came to get you." Leon held out his hand. "Come with me?"

Cloud smiled and nodded, reaching out to grasp warm fingers. "Okay."

From the bridge of _The Artemis _Sora had a complete view of his surroundings. While on the observation deck he'd only been allowed a glimpse in one direction, the bridge offered a three hundred and sixty degree view. He could not only see the burnt remnants of the Cathedral, but he also took notice that the fire had been allowed to spread to the homes and buildings surrounding it.

"We had to," Journey said from behind Sora, sensing the male's mood. "In order to set that place on fire we had to break the dark bonds, which let that dark energy spill out into the surrounding area. It all has to be destroyed. We wouldn't want any remnants would we?"

"And you're sure there are no people left?"

Journey shook his head. "I told you, Sora, this world was one of the first to be wholly consumed by the Heartless. This world was gone before you ever knew what a Keyblade was. All the people are gone. None escaped, and none are going to rebuild. This is essentially a barren wasteland, perfect for Maleficent's use."

Sora sighed. "I know you're convinced this is Maleficent's work, but I'm just as convinced it's not. Yes, I feel the power that she left. I'm not arguing with you that she was once here, but I also know what Riku feels like, and I feel him much more than her."

"I don't doubt you, Sora. Please, don't mistake my skepticism on the issue for being personal. I simply think that if anyone knows Maleficent better than you, or equally, it's Robyn. She's the one who showed us this place. Before her guidance we had only suspected this place to be a hub of power for Maleficent, and hunches are not something we can afford to waste time on."

The bridge was fairly deserted, only a few people at various stations. Sora felt confident that they were spaced far enough for him to carry on a conversation on the subject with Journey in their company. He trusted Journey because Cid trusted him, but Sora could not speak for any of the people who worked with Journey. They were drifters, and he'd heard stories from just about everyone. He'd been told on several occasions to stay away from them, because they were violent, war hardened and they would use him if at all possible. Before Sora had met Journey he'd been quite convinced that they were all unfriendly and brash.

"Who's Robyn?" Sora asked.

Journey clapped Sora on the shoulder. "You met her earlier."

Ah, Sora realized, the woman who had given him a very uneasy feeling. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. All he knew was something about her caused him to feel very uneasy.

"How would she know about Maleficent's holdings?"

"Let's just say," Journey offered, "That she's got access to inside information. She knows things even you as the Keyblade master won't until the very end."

Sora chuckled nervously. "You didn't tell everyone that I'm the wielder, did you?"

"Don't worry Sora," Journey told him. "You're among friends here."

Sora said nothing, sneaking glances at the other occupants of the bridge. They were watching him now.

"You're free to leave at any time," Journey said. "We all know you're the Keyblade master, but we're under no impressions that you're here to do anything for us, and we won't ask. Contrary to popular belief, we aren't all power hungry and ruthless. We don't force or coerce people to do things they find morally offensive."

"Well," Sora said, laughing a little bit. "You are kind of intimidating."

Journey added, "But if you leave now you won't get to talk to your friends." He gave a small flick of the wrist and across the bridge a blonde woman nodded, fingers flying over a pad in front of her.

The clear glass at the front of the bridge flickered for a moment before becoming a projector of sorts. Static was visible for a moment before the picture cleared and Sora was looking at his friends.

"Goofy! Donald!" Sora raced forward to stand in front of them. "I've missed you guys!"

"Where've you been?" Donald demanded, even as Goofy offered his own greetings.

Sora's shoulders fell. "Somewhere dark, but I'm not there anymore. I'm ready to meet back up with you guys. We have to keep going!"

"To find the King!" Goofy volunteered.

"And Riku," Sora added. "We're going to find him and I'm going to give him one more chance."

"Sora?" Donald questioned.

"He's my best friend, and our hearts know each other so well, but some things are just inexcusable. He's going to challenge Maleficent soon, and he'll win. We have to stop him before that, even if it means the end of him."

Donald and Goofy shared a sober look, understanding how much Riku meant to Sora, and the strength it had taken to make that decision.

"Sure you wouldn't rather go to Traverse Town?" Journey asked, stepping next to Sora so the King's aids could see him.

Sora shook his head. "No, I don't want to risk the town anymore. The people there sheltered us, and fought for their home, and we can't chance bringing another wave of Heartless on them."

"Hey!" In the projected picture Donald and Goofy took a quick step back as Cid slid into the picture on a rolling chair. "What's going on over there?" he demanded.

Journey seemed to grow younger in the presence of his adoptive father. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know where you are, or what you think you're doing, but you've probably just drawn every Heartless to your location."

"What?" Sora demanded, eyes flying to the section of the windows that gave him a view of the outside.

Cid stood up. "I was deadest on not getting involved with anything Drifter associated, but whatever you're doing is all effecting everyone. Just a short while ago all the Heartless became incredibly violent, more so than ever before, and got stronger. It's like you just unleashed a big power surge that made them tougher than ever. After destroying everything in sigh, the Heartless took off together, more coordinated then we ever believed they could be."

"But we destroyed the stronghold. We didn't release any power."

"And the Heartless couldn't enter the Cathedral," Sora added.

Cid growled lowly. "Tell me you're not where I think you are."

"The information was good!" Journey argued with Cid. "If we get good information we act on it, no matter where it takes us."

Yuffie appeared at Cid's shoulder. "Did you ever think it might be a trap?" She wasn't taunting him, but instead was generally concerned.

There was a stiring in Sora's chest that he interpreted as a feeling of foreshadowing at the same time as Journey said, "You've been looking for a reason to catch Robyn doing something traitorous. The most you could do is pin something actual on her."

Cid recognized the confused look on Sora's face and supplied. "I'm not surprised he neglected to tell you her parentage."

"That is not an issue," Journey bit out.

Cid countered, "You know it is." The older man turned to Sora and told him simply, "You've been in the company of Maleficent's only child."

Sora couldn't help himself as he jumped away from Journey. "What?" he shrieked.

"She's on our side and that's all that matters."

"This certainly makes her look suspicious, though," Yuffie said.

"I still fail to see that," Journey said.

"She led you there," Cid said angrily. "She told you about the place and made you think you'd be getting rid of a strategic point, when really you were just helping to more thoroughly distribute the darkness with more power than she could supply at the time."

"But I'm telling you," Sora said, loathed to defend anyone with ties to Maleficent. "I sense Riku's power definitely overpowering Maleficent's. It's his place not hers."

"So he set you up?" Yuffie inquired.

"He would never give the Heartless a power boost like that," Sora said. "He manipulates them easily enough, but he made it clear to me that he wants them gone with Maleficent, especially since she had primary control over them."

"This doesn't make sense—"

Journey was cut off the ground under his feet shook, alarms blaring in his ears.

Sora hadn't been lucky enough to keep his balance, and from his position on the floor he could see just the edge of an explosion that had occurred above the bridge on a higher deck.

"We're under attack!" a voice called out.

"Get out of there!" Cid yelled, eyes wide with fear.

"Send out a call!" Journey commanded of one of the Drifters. "Get everyone on the ship." He turned to another person. "Get those engines powered up right now and prepare to jump to Gummi space." He caught Sora's gaze. "I don't intend to leave anyone behind, but this ship is big, and it takes a long time to move."

Another explosion echoed and the link to Traverse Town, and all of Sora's friends was cut off.

Teeth rattling, Sora climbed to his feet and managed a look out the window. "I thought you were getting rid of all the Heartless!" He jabbed a finger out to the army massing towards them. With a deep breathe Sora tried calling for the Keyblade. He tried not to let his disappointment show when nothing happened. Since he had appeared in the Cathedral he'd been unable to call it to him. He could feel it and its power, but it was simply unreachable. With the coming Heartless he had never wanted it more. It was no cure to bear when your life depended upon it.

"What're we going to do?" Sora called out desperately, hearing the cries of the other Drifters as they reported troops cut off and the first Heartless attacks that had caught some of the groups of people unaware.

"There's another ship out there!" Journey said, leaning against the glass with Sora. "Can you get a fix on it?" He called over.

"No, sir! Everything is being jammed!"

The explosion that occurred did not catch Sora unaware, but he was frightened by its proximity. He had almost felt the heat.

"Can you get us out of here?" Journey demanded.

Sora caught his shoulder and demanded, "You can't leave all those people still out there!"

"We can't get them up here!" Journey shot back. "Transporters are down. And if we stay here we'll die."

"And if we go they'll die!"

"I cannot condemn all the people on this ship to the same fate that everyone outside is undoubtedly meeting at this very moment!"

Sora lost all breath in his body as he was thrown against the nearest terminal the next time the ship shuddered.

"Engines are offline! We're going to lose the ship!"

Sora reached a hand up to his forehead, feeling pain radiate from the area. He pulled back red coated fingers and gazed at them almost in a daze. There was a cracking that he barely registered, and then a heavy form was over Sora, blocking him from falling glasslike material.

As the air departed the room for the atmosphere Sora felt himself slide across the bridge, despite Journey being his anchor.

"Still not convinced she set the trap!" Journey called and even then Sora understood the hold love had over people.

"Can we argue about this later, like when the ship isn't blowing up!"

"Yeah," Journey hastily agreed, "Okay, we can do that."

They'd argue later, if they survived.

Author's Notes: I am very much aware that it has been … over a year since I updated. However, after finally getting my hands on KH2 and beating it in twenty hours, I'm back into the fandom more than ever before. I'm hard at work on another fic involving the KH2 characters, but in good faith I can't post it until this is finished. That said I'm buckling down and finishing it as fast as possible. This will not affect the quality of work, but it will be fast than I've ever put chapters out before.

Also, my fic has never really followed the KH timeline, but with KH2 out it's really different now, and that's why we're ignoring everything canon.


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